Ex pats in Spain to lose winter fuel payment
 

The spending review contains a decision to stop winter fuel payments to ex-pat pensioners living in a European country where the average Jan temperature is higher that the UK.

Full review here.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/spending-re...1.html#nMMqDyX

Re: Ex pats in Spain to lose winter fuel payment
 

Why dont they just scrap it altogether

It seems very arbitrary to use a "hot country index"

Some parts of Spain are much colder than some parts of the UK in January, it depends exactly where you live and on what part of the day/night you measure the temperature

Re: Ex pats in Spain to lose winter fuel payment
 

Why start a new thread - it's already here

Re: Ex pats in Spain to lose winter fuel payment
 

Didn't look in the Plaza, thought it was correct to put it in the main Spain forum.

Re: Ex pats in Spain to lose winter fuel payment
 

About bloody time too!

Re: Ex pats in Spain to lose winter fuel payment
 

why they took it of the Plaza i dont know as its not about Spain . Thats why i put it there...
It is expected that pensioners living in European countries, who can currently claim a range of benefits, will lose winter fuel payments if they live in a region with a higher average winter temperature than the warmest region of the UK.
This system would disqualify an estimated 120,000 people and save £30million a year after 2015/16, when it is expected to come into force.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz2XLPSQub3

Re: Ex pats in Spain to lose winter fuel payment
 

Thank goodness the have finally decided to put an end to this nonsense of paying it to country's that people move to for the better weather. The whole premise was bonkers.

Re: Ex pats in Spain to lose winter fuel payment
 

I listened to a fair bit of the chancellor's speech and it was the usual performance in the oldest democratic chamber in the world - every time Osbourne announced another spending cut the Tories cheered and the opposition booed.

Until he announced the winter fuel allowance cut for expats living in the sun. The entire house cheered for several minutes.

If any of us somehow thought we were liked by the people back home, here was the definitive proof that we are not.

Re: Ex pats in Spain to lose winter fuel payment
 

I don't think it's anything to do with being liked or disliked by the people back home, don't think many care one way or another.

It's that 99 off 100 claim to be boggering off abroad for a better climate, then try and say but the weather is worse so need their £300. It's a nonsense.

Many Expats haven't helped themselves over the years, laughing and boasting about how dumb the UK is to pay it to them on public forums.

I remember a fuerterventura forum from yonks ago where they were constantly taking the pee out of the UK for it.

Re: Ex pats in Spain to lose winter fuel payment
 

I wont miss it.. but what about the pensioners who wait untill its in their bank account and then go on winter holiday for 5 months.. I used to see it happen in Age Concern..

Re: Ex pats in Spain to lose winter fuel payment
 

Seems to be a bit controversy regarding the fairness of the proposed system.
Some milder areas of the S.W.of England have better average mid-winter temps than some areas of Spain where Expats live, those living in Spain having made just the same contributions.
Some clown on Sky news is actually trying to use mid-Summer temps as a means of comparison, .....never mentioned the need for air-con though.

Re: Ex pats in Spain to lose winter fuel payment
 

That will still happen as technically the are Britsh Residents who are then holidaymakers in Spain and not Ex-pats, can't see the government finding a way to legislate against that.

Re: Ex pats in Spain to lose winter fuel payment
 

Sometimes in the winter we get a low tempeture of 20* here. and have to were a long sleeve shirt.

Re: Ex pats in Spain to lose winter fuel payment
 

I think that the WFA should have been in the way of credits or vouchers, to be paid to the energy companies.
It must be a bit galling though, for the British tax payer to be sending more money (WFA) out of the economy to be spent in warmer countries.

You only have to read UK forums of comments to see that.

Re: Ex pats in Spain to lose winter fuel payment
 

"Paying out even more money to people from all nationalities who may have worked in this country years ago but no longer live here is not a fair use of the nation's cash," he said.

So he is going to stop pensions for ex-pats?