UK Ex-Pat Winter Fuel Payment - Page 3

StuBurt wrote on Mon Oct 30, 2023 11:52am:

There are over 500,000 UK Ex-pats living in France and Spain many of whom are retired old age pensioners.

About 10 years ago Iain Duncan Smith called for wealthy pensioners who do not need benefit payments such as winter fuel allowance and free bus passes benefit payments should volun...

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...tarily hand back the money to the government. I would enjoy reading the audited statistics of the money repaid.

Shock horror when all UK Ex-Pats living in France and Spain had their Winter Fuel Allowance cancelled.

The then Work and Pensions Secretary explained that calculations were made on official temperature figures for each country, based on a five month winter that represents the coldest time of the year in the UK, matching existing criteria used by the government for other forms of cold weather payment.

In response to questions about recognising the variance of temperatures depending on altitude and region, Mr Duncan Smith said the government had looked at a system of weighting temperatures for areas with heavy populations of British pensioners, as opposed to calculating using figures for each whole country. But as the highest concentrations of British pensioners were often found in the warmer parts of European countries, it would have meant at least as many countries would be excluded as under the adopted scheme, if not more.

On the complaint that warmer overseas territories of countries like France, Spain and Portugal had skewed the results for British pensioners in those countries, the Work Minister said that European law would have to be changed for France’s Caribbean islands, Spain’s Canary Islands and Portugal’s Atlantic islands not to be included in the calculations.

The changes implemented including the system of weighting meant that the measurement of temperature was altered to suit the new criteria thus denying UK Ex-Pat pensioners the Winter Fuel Allowance

For those of us UK Ex-pats that live full-time in France and Spain

we know just how cold the winter months may be.

Please view my UK government petition

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/647060

 to try and reinstate our much needed benefit to keep warm in winter and please tell others that would support the petition. 

eduardo3332 wrote on Wed Nov 1, 2023 8:57pm:

We have all (or most) paid national  insurance but if you think back to the amount we were paying in relation to the pension being received and the yearly increase why should we expect more.

I started work on 1 shilling and six pennies an hour

ann75 wrote on Wed Nov 1, 2023 9:41pm:

Yes but pro rata to that time 1 shilling & 6 pence bought a lot more then than what it does now. It's all relative. That's why pensions are increased, to keep pace with inflation & rising costs. 

My point remains the same. You still must keep warm in the winter in Med countries - the degree of cold doesn't matter, you must keep warm. You've paid for it all your life & you're  entitled to it....

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Yes, there are some who seek to abuse the system but they are in the minority I think. 

Raymondo wrote on Wed Nov 1, 2023 9:07pm:

I totally agree, also they never take into account the amount of fuel we need to keep cool in the ever increasing length and heat of the summers. And why do the pensioners who spend winters here in camper vans get Thier winter fuel payments for the UK winters..

eduardo3332 wrote on Wed Nov 1, 2023 10:35pm:

To heat a property in Spain is much cheaper than the uk.

What are people going to say when we stop receiving the yearly increase in our pension same as non eu countries. This is a possibility since Brexit.

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UK immigrants in non European countries have been petitioning for years to receive increases in their pension but it doesn't happen and they don't ask for winter fuel payments.

Just be happy with what you have 🙂

ann75 wrote on Thu Nov 2, 2023 12:18am:

That doesn't address the fact that most pensioners have contributed in their working lives to what they receive as pensioners. Nor does it address the fact that people are free to live wherever they want.

Furthermore you need to keep your property cool in the summer, an expense not usually necessary in the UK or Ireland. ...

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The sensible pensioners who opted to move to a cheaper economy in order to stretch their pensions should not be penalised for becoming less of a burden on the British taxpayer by virtue of the fact that they don't avail of the British health service, the free transport in the case of Ireland, I'm not sure if you have that in the UK.& sundry other things. A British pension is not all that generous either & costs are rising rapidly in Spain as they are everywhere. Nobody is living in the lap of luxury in Spain on a British pension 

It's not the fault of the average British pensioner that Britain shot itself in the foot with the Brexit fiasco and now that the coffers are so depleted what do they do,? Try to deprive their own people for having the audacity to do the sensible thing and move toa cheaper and healthier country. It's beyond ridiculous. 

eduardo3332 wrote on Thu Nov 2, 2023 7:24am:

immigrants from the uk receive health benefits in Spain but this is subsidised by the uk so not reliving any burden.

As for being hotter in the summer many of these poor pensioners go back to their homeland to escape the heat in July and August 🤔

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As I have said you make the choice of immigrating to another country you accept the consequences pointless complaining on a media platform, this will change nothing.

ann75 wrote on Thu Nov 2, 2023 10:20am:

Ok, subsidised yes - I didn't know that. Thanks for the information but there are other things as well that I've already mentioned that ex oats are saving the UK on. 

The pensioners who return for the summer are few since most have sold up and have nowhere to go back to in my experience of knowing them. ...

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I think we are going around in circles here so we can agree to disagree. 

I didn't emigrate myself but have every sympathy for those that did. 

Have a nice day Eduardo.

eduardo3332 wrote on Thu Nov 2, 2023 10:39am:

No need for sympathy for people that have immigrated, most pensioners I know are completely happy with there life including me although I made a bad business deal in 2008 and lost a fortune but still have a good life on my uk state pension and never complain