VFR

In the scale of the UK social budget the winter fuel payment to those not in the UK is a pittance !

The landed gentry in parliament are more than happy though to carry on sending millions in aid to county's where the bulk of it is used to buy yet more arms etc.

As this is a universal payment and as such the EU said it must be paid to all those who qualify (hence we eventually received it) how comes they can now stop it ?

Fred James

Because, under the new rules, you no longer qualify as you live in Spain.

The only chance is if the EU decide that the changes to the rules cannot be retrospective.

bobd22

Because they changed it from being universal to applying a temperature test.

This is a BBC link exposing how they managed to change it

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23065510

calman014

The payment of regular benefits to (Working) EU migrants is a foundation of EU law. It would be no different if you went to Germany to work and your wife and kids are in UK. You would pay German taxes and receive the regular German benefits and as such there's be no problem sending it back to UK. This is all part of the free movement concept.

As stated above there are more important issues that don't get a mention when it comes to wastage of taxpayers money. UK is not alone in that aspect.

It will be interesting to see if the attempt to stop this payment is actually successful.

bobd22

I thought it was a done deal? I also agree your your comments on free movement. However I seem to remember it was being given to those not paying taxes or even working initialy, although the current government I believe have started correcting that issue? I would not expect to turn up in Spain pay nothing into their system and expect them to give me benefits. I would expect my country of origin where I have paid my taxes etc to honour their comitments however. They do seem to be trying to wriggle out of that these days in my opinion.

le plumber

Either you should insulate more or it may be an idea to down size??

capricorn2013

Starting the year as you mean to go on I see!

cyrian

dmu

Hi, butting in from the France Forum, and as a matter of interest,
do Spanish OAPs systematically receive a Spanish equivalent to the WFA? I stand to be corrected, but I guess not.
French OAPs certainly don't, they have to apply for social aid, and a lot of paperwork is involved in order to justify that they are in financial need.
Logically, why should European expats systematically receive WFA from the UK, when the nationals of their chosen country get nothing from their own Government? (or only with a lot of bureaucratic hassle).

surreygirl

Yes and are currently receiving it but it is going to be stopped this year!´´

surreygirl

Spanish OAPs dont it is from the British Government where we all paid out taxes and into the social system. UK pensioners receive it and so do we in Spain but it is set to be stopped this year.

surreygirl

This the link to the petition. I dont believe that the original one I sent works.



http://rivoice.net/petitions/expats-to- ... tries.html

BBC News - Spending Review: 'Temperature test' for winter payments

Im_and_Er

Some of the comments on that petition site are laughable, complaining because you're stuck in a house you can't sell or that it's cold because you bought a house with no insulation is the UK government's problem because ?

The best of the lot though is the one complaining that it's so hot in Summer that they need the WFA to pay for the air conditioning - priceless

Im_and_Er

Love some of the comments on that petition Surreygirl.

My favourite is the one complaining that it's so hot in Spain in the Summer that the WFA is needed to pay for the air conditioning - priceless

I think I'll post it to the Daily Mail, that should get UK into a complete frenzy

EDIT:

BTW diverting people to a fringe 3rd party web site for this sort of thing is hardly likely to enhance the chances of success.

If you really feel the need to sign a petition this is the place to do it but it will be a waste of time.

https://submissions.epetitions.direc.../signature/new

bigglesworth

I and E if you really want to wind up the UK I would post on the Guardian