The Social Security Director of Antigua and Barbuda has revealed that the United Progressive Party (UPP) government significantly increased the arrears owed to the Social Security scheme during its first term in office. According to David Mathias, who appeared on the Browne and Browne Show, the arrears grew by $127 million between 2003 and 2009. By October 2003, just before the UPP assumed power, the outstanding amount was approximately $366 million. However, by 2009, this figure had surged to nearly $494 million. Prime Minister Gaston Browne, also present on the show, emphasized that this increase occurred within the UPP’s first five years in office. Mathias confirmed that the arrears stemmed from unpaid premiums, including employee deductions that were not remitted to the scheme. By 2010, the UPP government consolidated the debt into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Social Security Board, resulting in a total liability of $550 million, which included unpaid contributions, loans, and penalties. This revelation highlights the substantial financial burden added during the UPP’s tenure and underscores the long-standing issue of arrears accumulation across successive administrations.