It's quite a well known anomoly that even ex-Pats living in Spain still receive the Winter Fuel Payment from the Government to help with their bills each year. However, I never actually realised quite how much money is thrown at pensioners who chose retirement to a place in the sun.According to figures from the DWP Minister, James Purnell, in 2005/06, his Department paidd £4,215,000 in Winter Fuel Payments to claimants in Greece, Spain, Italy, Malta, Cyprus and Portugal.
I wonder if the ex-Pat communities get together each year and have a big party on us?
8 comments:
Interesting that an old lady in a care home gets nothing, and an old lady in the Costas can get up to £300.
Hi DIZZY not all of us get together, but I did not waste mine I bought 18 bottles of champagne from a little vineyard from that area that was superb, I bought 6 bottles of a 1999 vitage St.Emillion also tres excellent and a bottle of rare 20 year old Armagnac. Unfortunately it is now all gone, but the warm glow will last all winter. BON SANTE
This is outrageous but typical of the me,me,me attitude of many Brits at home and abroad.
At which age does it kick in? Wondering if my Ma (in SW France) gets it.
Yes, we do, especially in the fSU.
i hope you don't mind me saying this, but that is *cough* dizzy.
What sort of bunch of pratts have not closed this loophole?
What loophole???
I chose to live in Spain when i retired at 65.
For all my working life i paid my taxes and national insurance in the UK.
Why should i not be eligible for such payments in my retirement.
Have just started to look at bloggs may get hooked.
Peter
As an Ex Pat pensioner living in Normandy I feel the cold and have to budget carefully to pay heating bills. I still pay some taxes in UK and have contributed to my meagre pension over many years. Why should I be excluded from a benifit that I have contributed to after all there are many other things I don't qualify for living here.
Ray. Normandy
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