Winter Fuel Payments?

fedupconsumer

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

We've lived full-time in Spain until recently and I can assure you I'd never used an electric blanket until I moved to Spain!

Also, just to clarify, British pensioners who are full-time residents in Spain don't get the winter fuel allowance unless they qualified for it in the UK before they went to Spain. In other words, you can't go to live permanently in Spain in your 50s and then qualify for the payment when you are 60.

In fairness people who move aboard should not even receive any such payments from the government people decide to move abroad for a better life should pay for it, and free up these funds for people who live in this country and are disabled.

Paparika

fedupconsumer wrote: »

In fairness people who move aboard should not even receive any such payments from the government people decide to move abroad for a better life should pay for it, and free up these funds for people who live in this country and are disabled.

my parents retired to France, ok they may not get the WFP, but can you explain why they are not be entitled to something they have paid into for all their working lives,

my father kept being made redundant and any jobs he went for went to much younger, or non UK nationals, this country has been flooded with migrants, he felt he was being pushed out of this country...

I am British born and bred, and disabled, but i still get pushed to the back of the queue for a lot of things because migrants 'need' more than i do.

alared

There`s no such thing as fairness when it comes to who gets what in this country.
People who have just got off the boat and have never paid a penny in this country get benefits.
Child benefit is paid to people who`s children are still living in their "home" country and not here.
As 7day pointed out,you only continue to get fuel allowance if you were getting it before you went to live abroad.

fedupconsumer

People make the choice to move to a foreign country (for a better standard of living or other reasons) where as others still residing in this country with a much greater need don't get the level of help afforded to expats who no longer reside in this country.

I am sorry I do not hold much sympathy for expats in this situation when people like me are struggling with next to nothing struggle to heat our homes and languish in illness in the winter because of it. For people who actually live here, pay taxes either directly or stealth, contribute to the wider economy on a daily basis, whilst expats contribute to foreign markets. The money they receive from the British government goes to FRENCH businesses propping up their economy, why should people's taxes in this country go to fund foreign business?

The taxpayers alliance and charities have voiced their concern over this issue and yet nothing is done. Where the cost of living in the EU is cheaper and climate conditions more favorable its morally wrong to allow these payments to be made when others struggle so much in this country. People with disabilities always get over looked when it comes to WFP, the government should be reducing the payments to expats and wealthy pensioners to help assist more vulnerable members of our society,

woody01

I am British born and bred, and disabled, but i still get pushed to the back of the queue for a lot of things because migrants 'need' more than i do.

What has British Born and Bred got to do with it?
Do you pay into the system as you are disabled? If not, then you are not contributing anymore than a jobless immigrant is.

I am not being rude when i asked the above, but trying to point out some 'narrow-mindedness'.

If someone has been on their benefits all their working lives (not suggesting you have), then are they any more entitled than an immigrant that has just arrived seeing as they have both paid zippo/zero/nada into the system that keeps them?

Move along the chain......
You think you are hard done by as you think you are not being treated fairly and have to 'join the back of the queue.

Right, well i feel the same.....
I pay over a £1000 per month in income tax so people that are disabled/unemployed can live. Do you think that's fair? You probsbly do as it's not your money you are giving away.
What i am saying is that you are no more important or needy in the grand scheme of things than anyone else just because you are BORN HERE.

Remember......someone has to support you aswell, and colour or religion doesn't make it cheaper!

(and yes....i am white english born and bred)

seven-day-weekend

fedupconsumer wrote: »

In fairness people who move aboard should not even receive any such payments from the government people decide to move abroad for a better life should pay for it, and free up these funds for people who live in this country and are disabled.

There are various ways of looking at this. Some would say as you are a British State Pensioner and are allowed to live quite legally anywhere in the EU (as other Europeans are in the UK), why should you not be able to get the fuel allowance, as you have paid in just as much (sometimes more) than any other British State Pensioner.

Others say as you do, that if you leave the shores of the UK, you should not receive anything, even though you have spent your working life paying into the UK.


My husband and I have nearly eighty years' worth of NI contributions between us, why does it matter where we live?

Although as it happens, entitlement to the Heating Allowance is based on residency, not contributions, so at the moment we don't qualify anyway. Next year we will both be UK resident (living in the UK for longer than six months a year) and both over 60 so will both qualify.

seven-day-weekend

fedupconsumer wrote: »

People make the choice to move to a foreign country (for a better standard of living or other reasons) where as others still residing in this country with a much greater need don't get the level of help afforded to expats who no longer reside in this country.

I am sorry I do not hold much sympathy for expats in this situation when people like me are struggling with next to nothing struggle to heat our homes and languish in illness in the winter because of it. For people who actually live here, pay taxes either directly or stealth, contribute to the wider economy on a daily basis, whilst expats contribute to foreign markets. The money they receive from the British government goes to FRENCH businesses propping up their economy, why should people's taxes in this country go to fund foreign business?

The taxpayers alliance and charities have voiced their concern over this issue and yet nothing is done. Where the cost of living in the EU is cheaper and climate conditions more favorable its morally wrong to allow these payments to be made when others struggle so much in this country.

I receive no money from the UK at the moment although on February 1st I will get my State Pension.

Also any money I do have does not get spent in France as we are in Spain It is FREEZING here in the winter! Also now it is not a lot cheaper. We do not qualify for fuel allowance anyway, please don't tell me you don't think I should get my State Pension, or my husband his Teachers' Pension that he has paid into for years. He also still pays Tax to the UK, so he is a 'taxpayer' too.

fedupconsumer

"My husband and I have nearly eighty years' worth of NI contributions between us, why does it matter where we live?"

It matters greatly, there is inequality within the system. It matters when people living in this country are living in poverty, yet the cost of living abroad is lower than in the UK thus affording you a better standard of living. It matters greatly when even the Fuel Poverty Adivsory Group, Taxpayers Alliance and other charities are against these payments.

"Do you pay into the system as you are disabled? If not, then you are not contributing anymore than a jobless immigrant is."

What insensitivity is that, here's me thinking this section of MSE was to encourage disabled people not lambaste them for their disability. Disabled people contribute to the public purse everyday dont you know.

"please don't tell me you don't think I should get my State Pension, or my husband his Teachers' Pension that he has paid into for years. He also still pays Tax to the UK, so he is a 'taxpayer' too."

I agree with pensioners receiving their state or company pension but "extras" such as WFP should not be paid.

seven-day-weekend

fedupconsumer wrote: »

"My husband and I have nearly eighty years' worth of NI contributions between us, why does it matter where we live?"

It matters greatly, there is inequality within the system. It matters when people living in this country are living in poverty, yet the cost of living abroad is lower than in the UK thus affording you a better standard of living. It matters greatly when even the Fuel Poverty Adivsory Group, Taxpayers Alliance and other charities are against these payments.

"Do you pay into the system as you are disabled? If not, then you are not contributing anymore than a jobless immigrant is."

What insensitivity is that, here's me thinking this section of MSE was to encourage disabled people not lambaste them for their disability. Disabled people contribute to the public purse everyday dont you know.

"please don't tell me you don't think I should get my State Pension, or my husband his Teachers' Pension that he has paid into for years. He also still pays Tax to the UK, so he is a 'taxpayer' too."

I agree with pensioners receiving their state or company pension but "extras" such as WFP should not be paid.

And it is not, unless you went to live abroad AFTER qualifying for it in the UK.

Jennifer_Jane

anmarj wrote: »

it is paid by qualifying benefit and then nino if split

Last week Pension Credit made their payments, this weekend see the start of State Pension 0-50 (last two digits of nino) next week sees the remainder issued, all payments should be recevied by Christmas

Apologies, but what did this mean - ie what is the 'nino'?
Thanks
Jen