§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when each international reciprocal social security agreement was entered into; and what the extent of the reciprocity is in each case. [55579]
§ Maria EagleThe information on reciprocal social security agreements with other countries is as follows.
The main purpose of such reciprocal agreements is to protect the social security position of workers moving between the two countries during their working lives. They prevent employees, their employers and the self-employed from having to pay social security contributions to both the home state and the state of employment at the same time and ensure that such workers' rights to certain benefits are maintained. They vary to some extent from country to country depending on the nature and scope of the other country's social security scheme. Generally, they cover contributory benefits in respect of the following contingencies: sickness, invalidity, unemployment, retirement, bereavement and industrial injuries. Workers who have contributed to both countries' schemes during their working lives can usually receive an old age pension from each country which reflects the proportionate amount or their insurance in, or contributions to, each country's scheme.
List of current reciprocal social security agreements and the year they came into force
Austria
Barbados—1981 (replaced the 1971 agreement)
Belgium—1992
Bermuda—1958
Canada—1969
Cyprus—1995 (replaced the 1959 agreement)
Denmark—1983 (replaced the 1959 agreement)
Finland—1960
France—1984 (replaced the 1959 agreement)
Germany—1958
Gibraltar—1961
Iceland—1974
Ireland—1985
Isle of Man—1960
Israel—1977 (replaced the 1948 agreement)
855WItaly—1957
Jamaica—1953
Jersey and Guernsey—1997 (replaced the 1972 agreement)
Luxembourg—1994 (replaced the 1978 agreement)
Malta—1955
Mauritius—1966 (replaced the 1956 agreement)
Netherlands—1981
New Zealand—1955
Norway—1983 (replaced the 1969 agreement)
Philippines—1991 (replaced the 1957 agreement)
Portugal—1989
Spain—1979
Sweden—1975
Switzerland—1988 (replaced the 1956 agreement)
Turkey—1969
USA—1961
Yugoslavia1—1984 (replaced the 1969 agreement)
1Now applies to: the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia— Montenegro—1958), Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.