MSE News: Winter fuel payments cut for those in hot countries

Richie-from-the-Boro

It really only applies seven EU countries, those who have average winter temperatures below UK's warmest region the southwest of England, from 2015 existing payments will stop & new claims not allowed. The countries are - Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugaland Spain.

redux

What exactly do they mean by warm?

There was about a foot of snow in parts of Spain on 28th/29th April this year.

daveyjp

Cardew wrote: »

According to the current and previous Governments, the reason why the Winter Fuel Allowance is given to every 60 year old, regardless of their income/assets, was that it would cost more in administration costs to means-test everyone, rather than just pay it as a universal benefit.

I wonder how much this measure will cost the Government to save the few million; especially as many ex-pats keep an address in UK with children etc. Sounds more like a gesture, than serious money-saving.

It won't happen. Another soundbite to try and get some voters back from UKIP.

My uncle lives in Spain and the UK. Spain in Autumn, winter, spring, UK in summer. Wll he get it, who will check, who monitors etc etc. whoever it is has to be paid.

gayleanne

I have lived in Hong Kong, and during the winter period I had to wear a coat or jacket, but their Winter is hotter than our Summers, I suppose it is what you are used too.

[Deleted User]

the first sensible thing this shambolic govt has done,then they spoil it by delaying it for 2 years
as for proper means testing of pensioner benefits thats easy and not that costly,just limit them (i.e. bus passes wfa etc)to those already getting HB or CTC

Dunroamin

Wywth wrote: »

I've spent quite a bit of time in Spain, including during the winter times.

Whilst it often touches freezing point overnight in winter, I don't remember it ever going as low as -15C (unless perhaps up a mountain)

Also, I don't remember any days when the temperature did not rise above freezing point during the day.

A lot of Spanish properties have no form of central heating ... and that's not because they can't afford it

I lived on the Isle of Wight for years and it never reached -15C there either , nor were there many days when the temperature didn't rise above freezing. As Spain is the second most mountainous country in Europe, lots of people live at quite a high altitude.

Nada666

woodbine wrote: »

as for proper means testing of pensioner benefits thats easy and not that costly,just limit them (i.e. bus passes wfa etc)to those already getting HB or CTC

[STRIKE]Eff off. [/STRIKE]Either abolish them or give them to all. The one thing that should not be done is to give them to only those who receive means tested benefits.

roddydogs

Isnt it funny all the people who go to live abroad, then tell us how cold it can get in, say Spain, so they need their WFA. So why have you moved there if the weather is not better?

matelodave

I dont see why the government are still faffing about with winter fuel payments. They work out at about £100 per pensioner = £2.00 a week. Why not just add it to the pension and done with. This would ensure that those who pay tax would give some back and it would only get paid when you started drawing your pension. It would save all the additional admin & postage of letters & transfers that happen in November & December as well.

It's not really a gift from the government as everyone seems to think it is - most people have earned it by paying tax & national insurance over a lifetime of work. Perhaps to make it really fair it should only go to those who have paid in or cancel it altogether for everone rather than just discriminate against those who've paid for it but choose not to live in the UK.

LadyDee

Australia for one could be seen as being a hot country but not in Melbourne it's not! It can be as cold as the UK. Coupled with the fact that there's virtually no double glazing, insulation in houses has not until recently been common. Pensioners could have paid in for 50 years for their pension and if they are living in one of the Commonwealth countries, it's frozen at the amount it was when they left the UK.
Pensioners living abroad are no cost to the Health Service even though they have contributed to it for 50 years.
Yet another easy target and of course they don't vote.