FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

The gold-plated fund banks the average EU official £59,000 – and allows the most senior Brussels bigqigs to draw a maximum of £166,000 in yearly payments in retirement. And according to analysts, Brussels could demand Britain pays between £4.4billion and £5.7billion during Brexit negotiations.

A senior Brussels source told MailOnline: “Commitments have been made and this is not theoretical. “These are commitments which exist and we need to make sure that the UK lives up to its part of these commitments.” The average Brussels pension payout of £59,000 is more than twice the average salary of British citizens.

GETTY Mrs May could face uproar if she agrees to pay the bill

Brexit debate in pictures Mon, April 17, 2017 The debate in the European Parliament in Strasbourg will focus on key issues of the Brexit talks including reciprocal rights for EU citizens, the peace process in Northern Ireland and trade Play slideshow AFP/Getty Images 1 of 23 Former leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) Nigel Farage (L) gestures as he speaks with EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker (R) prior to a debate on the conclusions of the last European Council, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg

GETTY Lord Kinnock is among the biggest beneficiaries of the EU pensions pot

It is also almost three times the average £21,800 yearly income for retired households in the UK. Among the 22,000 retired EU officials currently benefiting from Brussels’ exorbitant pensions pot are around 1,730 Britons. Former Labour leader Lord Kinnock, who is said to one of the most generously rewarded by the scheme, reportedly draws an estimated £87,000 from his role as vice president of the European Commission.

GETTY Lord Mandelson draws more than £30,000 annually from the plan

Peak inside the £270m home of the European Council Tue, May 16, 2017 This will become the new home of the European Council Play slideshow 1 of 11