Payments to Swedish pensioners can be put in crisis Greece – Aftonbladet

The acute crisis in Greece could turn against the Swedish pensioners.

Pension payments can be stopped for over 4000 Swedes who live in the country.
– We are following developments very carefully, says Anna Ryberg, press officer at the Swedish Pensions Agency.

During the past week, desperate Greek pensioners queued outside the bank to try to get the cash.

The picture of 77-year-old Giorgos Chatzifotiadis, who broke down after failing to take money out of the four banks, became a symbol of Greeks suffering.

Can lose money

But now, the crisis may also turn against the Swedish pensioners who live in Greece. Because of the unrest can major banks in Sweden get to stop pension payments to Swedes who have accounts in Greek banks.

– If the Swedish banks will assess any risk of bank failure in Greece is too great, the payments will stop, says Anna Ryberg, press officer at the Swedish Pensions Agency.
She continues:

– Our focus is to ensure that Swedish pensioners are not likely to get rid of their money.

5000 pensioners

According to the Pension Authority lives about 5000 Swedish pensioners in Greece. Approximately 4300 of them have accounts in Greek banks.

Most retirees are scheduled to receive their money the next time around July 18.

If the payments stopped, Pensions Agency to put money on high until the situation stabilizes.

– We had a reconciliation meeting late yesterday and are continuing to maintain close contact with the banks, says Anna Ryberg.

“Monitor the situation closely”

It is Nordea, which is in charge of Pension Agency payments abroad. There’s Magnus Nelin press officer.

– It is too early to say how we will act. But we are monitoring the situation closely, he said.

Some anxious people have contacted the Pensions Agency with questions about how they should act. According to Anna Ryberg it may be an idea to receive payments in a bank based in a country other than Greece.

– If you have an account, for example, a Swedish bank, we can help to change that the money will go there instead, she says.