Prime Minister Theresa May has so far stayed tight-lipped about her agenda for expats.
Outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron had made some pledges to expats about voting in elections.
In the run up to the Brexit referendum, the government faced a legal challenge from expats about disbarring them from voting about whether to leave the European Union.
The current law stops any expat who has lived away from Britain for more than 15 years from voting.
Cameron had made an election manifesto pledge to drop this glass ceiling so every expat could vote.
Votes for expats
The result was unlikely to be different if expats did have the vote – the leave majority was more than the number of extra eligible voters who could have gone to the polls if the rules had been changed.
Nonetheless, the remain vote could have been bolstered by several thousands more people.
Cameron did promise to introduce the measure before the end of the current Parliament, a timescale which is unaffected by May coming to power.
But May’s government has stated that ministers expect their counterparts in the EU to treat British expats on the same terms as Britain treats EU citizens in the UK.
Unfortunately, this standpoint has been ruffled with a further off-the-cuff announcement suggesting that any EU expats coming to the UK after the referendum may not have the same rights to live and work in the country as those here prior to that date.
Pension worries
The thinking behind the move is the British government wants to thwart a sudden influx of migrants rushing to settle in the UK before the curtain comes down on the UK’s membership of the EU.
Other topics on the expat agenda are pensions and health care.
British expats in the EU need to know whether their state pensions will continue to increase in line with the triple lock in the UK.
The government has already commented that the triple lock is under review and one easy way to save money would be to stop expats receiving the annual increase of a minimum 2.5%.
Others are concerned about the future of Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes (QROPS), which were instigated by EU freedom of movement and capital rules in April 2006.
The other big worry is whether EU expats will have an entitlement to free or reduced rate health care or if they will have to buy expensive private medical cover.
Further QROPS Information and Guidance
For more information about QROPS and the benefits it provides, download the iExpats QROPS Guide or complete the Get Advice form.
