davidinspain

Iberdrola have launched (under Spanish law) a reduced rate for those with limited income.Many UK State Pensioners might be able to benefit from this,yet Iberdrola say its only open to Spanish pensioners which is discrimanatory under EU law.You can make an official complaint at https://ec.europa.eu/info/about-euro...ights_en.Other Spanish electricity providers are making the same stance.So taking a few minutes to fill in the EU form might benefit UK pensioners...who knows.

Fred James

Spanish pensioners have contributed into the pension system for most of their working life and this is one of the benefits that they get.

If an Expat Brit works in Spain he will get a Spanish pension and be eligible.

I fail to see why foreign pensioners who have never contributed anything should get it.

Perhaps they should complain that they should be entitled to a Spanish pension just because they live in Spain.

Incidentally it has nothing specifically to do with the electricity companies, the idea was dreamed up by the government many years ago and all companies had to offer it, all that is now different is that they have made some slight changes to the rules.

spainrico

So a bit like the old UK Winter Fuel Allowance...........do UK Expats of long standing still get this or was it abolished for everybody?

Fred James

It was abolished for everyone in Spain as it never gets cold! My heating bill this winter is enormous!

spainrico

Ah yes I remember now Ian Duncan Smith....obviously does not own a property here. Yes Iberdrola will be making a fortune.

davidinspain

It's not about anything else than discrimination,which under EU law is not allowed.Can you imagine the uproar if the UK did something similar? BTW UK pensioners contribute plenty in indirect taxes in Spain...or shouldn't that count?

bobd22

Surely they can't count indirect tax by which i presume you mean likes of vat on goods food etc? How would they know how much you have contributed?

davidinspain

It was just a generalisation,Fred had posted that UK pensioners should be procluded because they haven't paid into the Spanish system.

bobd22

You could argue that many expat pensioners do pay direct tax on their income but then again many pay direct tax to UK and lose such things as tax free savings benefits, winter fuel allowance bus pass etc. I suppose it's a case of some you win some you lose.

davidinspain

My initial posting was more to highlight the fact that the EU frowns on discrimination by nationality.Could you imagine UK electricity and gas companies making a similar offer but precluding pensioners from France,Germany,Spain etc