More on the Winter Fuel Allowance

[MELEE]

We had friends in Spain who had not lived in UK since they were in their 50's - I'm sure she claimed the winter fuel allowance while living in Spain

[FunkiDunki]

Thanks all of your comments, brucie1 I think you are correct however Optimist I will put in a claim and let you know what happens.

[webejamin]

In reality gus, they're probably gonna take it off everyone. That'll cause many to die of the cold :o but think of the savings when they don't have to pay out all those pensions, and NHS bills, cor!!! the list is endless ;D
Anuva fing, Why don't the gov.uk swap a cold part of the UK for a nice warm sunny island somewhere, so we can retire there and still be in the UK? somewhere like the Canaries, I'm sure spain.com would be up for it ;D only one of em ??? just fink of the savings there then ;D     

[gus-lopez]

Jams
if people didnt spend there pensions out side of the uk,there would be more money raised in uk taxes..... then thi might slide yer a little benny in,ie over 67 winter flight allowance  ( WFA  :drinks: )were yer get 2 free flights  pa for uk captives over 67 .....  :wave

:lol:

:clap: :lol:

Actually the WFA was introduced as a way of increasing the pension without actually making it permanent.
It is the principle that I disagree with in removing it. Especially when you consider the trickery that IDS has used to exclude France. Defies belief ! I think he'll have trouble making that one stick once someone takes ity to the EU.
It does make you wonder what the real reason is as saving 22 million isn't worth talking about in the scheme of things ?????

[Tetley]

Jams
if people didnt spend there pensions out side of the uk,there would be more money raised in uk taxes..... then thi might slide yer a little benny in,ie over 67 winter flight allowance  ( WFA  :drinks: )were yer get 2 free flights  pa for uk captives over 67 .....  :wave

:lol:

[webejamin]

 :o MOI :o Bless my soul, now let me see ??? how many bottles of Jamesons ??? Mmmmmmm

[doreen1]

Wish there was an icon for ****  stirring. :rofl:

[webejamin]

The thing with WFA is, if you use logic when awarding it as a benefit, people living in warmer climes wouldn't get it would they. It was originally meant for people living in the UK in the winter to help with fuel bills. It's like saying "I paid in all my life, so should be entitled to, say, unemployment benefit" even though you're not unemployed. We all know it aint that cold in Southern Spain in the winter, so do the politicians and civil servants dealing with this kind of thing.
Us poor sods living in the freezing UK are genuinely entitled to WFA, but there are lots of benefits that I will have paid for all my life, but I'm not entitled to them for one reason or another.
It does seem rather ironic though, that some people can get benefits that they have never contributed to, that don't and never have lived in the UK.
It must be a bonus though, for other EU politicians, to have millions of pound awarded to their citizens, to spend in their country, without having to give anything in return. So it's no surprise then, that the EU courts and politicians decide against UK policies.
Roll on the weekend, coz I'm off to the sunshine ;D it's too cold here ;D
       

[Tetley]

At the end of the day folks..... they educate you,train you,you work,give approx 65% of your earning back in in- direct/ direct taxes,you struggle ,buy your homes,raise your kids,if there is war ,they send your kids,when its all done and your old and you become non productive,eventually they dig the rest of your money.

its how it is,nothing is fair,100 years ago they were throwing men over trenches or shooting them at dawn,now yer run by Germany & France and the Brits are looking at bining the EU  because were sick of paying for every x er in it.

Happy new year folks ,the system........ it is what it is.

:tiphat:

[MELEE]

I thought that the only exportable benefits were those into which you had to pay to get anything out - I know attendance allowance is now exportable due to EU intervention,  but why should child allowance be - if you have kids who don't and never have live in UK why the hell should they be entitled to this allowance

[jimmybeen]

........................................... it seems unfair to remove WFA from expats who have paid into the Brit tax and NIC system during their working lives.
Wonder what they will spend the saving on ? More immigrants ?  :whistle: More single mothers with  six children by six different fathers ?  :whistle: Workshy lowlifes who make a career out of living off benefits ?  :whistle:  Don't suppose it will be used to help pensioners living in the UK !

Absolutely, I think it disgusting that we should pay into the system for decades then be treated like second class citizens whilst those who have never paid a penny into the UK National Insurance can be provided ALL the benefits available.      :head      :head

[Karen4]

I have more of an issue with benefits like Child Benefit which are exportable - at the very most those benefits should only be paid at the rate they are normally paid in the country where the children live. For example, the 2008 monthly rates for a first child were:  UK - £78.43 while Poland was £13.18 and Bulgaria £6.75
I really think if we are paying Child Benefit to export it should be adjusted to the rate prevalent where the child lives.

[webejamin]

Well I suppose it's a good vote catcher for the Tories next May? Still, UK politics don't affect many expats, do they :whistle:

[Rod]

In Albox the outside dogs water bowl was frozen solid yesterday morning.

[felipe]

Well driving home last night at 10.30 the temp was 3 degrees in Limaria and for the second morning running our outside water pipes were frozen.

[webejamin]

I've gone on before about the politics of envy, only to get shot down by some of you.

This again is a perfect example.  I certainly hope they do bring in a Mansion Tax and that it hurts the greedy b******s where it really hurts.

:o

[byrney]

I've gone on before about the politics of envy, only to get shot down by some of you.

This again is a perfect example.  I certainly hope they do bring in a Mansion Tax and that it hurts the greedy b******s where it really hurts.

[gus-lopez]

Its a pity the bloody government don't put as much effort into stopping immigrants from claiming millions and sending it to their families outside the UK - how is it fair that someone from Poland for example can come here and claim benefits for kids that live in Poland and send the money back there - pensioners have, in the main, paid into the system for years - they are entitled to the winter fuel payment wherever they live.
And before you all start - NO THIS IS NOT A RACIST REMARK - IT'S THE BLOODY TRUTH

Quite right . The ACTUAL amount that they are going to save is 22 million. That's a bit less than is paid to Polish child benefit claimants .

[zilnor]

Agreed Melee, and no , your post was not racist. It seems as though those who have paid the most into the system over many years, get the least out of it.  :head

[Tetley]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DFqMGKpQBk

and rember folks.............if yer need care befor yer go down the tunnel of white light ti meet all yer family & freinds,wi yer Angels...... anything over 24k there aving off yer before yer go........

spin the wheel  O0

[Daffy]

Its a pity the bloody government don't put as much effort into stopping immigrants from claiming millions and sending it to their families outside the UK - how is it fair that someone from Poland for example can come here and claim benefits for kids that live in Poland and send the money back there - pensioners have, in the main, paid into the system for years - they are entitled to the winter fuel payment wherever they live.
And before you all start - NO THIS IS NOT A RACIST REMARK - IT'S THE BLOODY TRUTH

Fully agree with all you say. It is a disgrace how British pensioners are discriminated against.

[MELEE]

Its a pity the bloody government don't put as much effort into stopping immigrants from claiming millions and sending it to their families outside the UK - how is it fair that someone from Poland for example can come here and claim benefits for kids that live in Poland and send the money back there - pensioners have, in the main, paid into the system for years - they are entitled to the winter fuel payment wherever they live.
And before you all start - NO THIS IS NOT A RACIST REMARK - IT'S THE BLOODY TRUTH

[ginger]

as far as im aware you had to be in receipt before moving to spain ie over 60 by your figures your husband was  57 you were 49 so sorry but you don't qualify unless you kept a property in uk

To a certain extent you are right - these were the rules until a couple of years ago.  However, then the EU stepped in and said that this was discriminatory which in turn resulted in the UK receiving claims from those living in EU countries who had left the UK before age 60.  This in turn forced the UK to look at this "allowance" and find some way of saving millions, hence the revised terms for the winter fuel payment.

This should not be confused with the cold weather payment which is received by pensioner residents of the UK when the temperatures stay below a specified temperature for a certain number of consecutive days.

[Optomist]

as far as im aware you had to be in receipt before moving to spain ie over 60 by your figures your husband was  57 you were 49 so sorry but you don't qualify unless you kept a property in uk

I think your wrong , being in receipt of it before leaving UK were the old rules before European court forced a change , same as having a UK property . There are 2 forms to apply , one for over 60 living in UK other for over 60 living in EU countries .

Eligibility
You'll qualify for Winter Fuel Payment if:

you were born on or before 5 July 1952 (for winter 2014 to 2015 - this date changes every year)
you'll be living in the UK throughout the week of 15 to 21 September 2014
You may still be able to get the payment if you live in another European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland and you have a genuine link with the UK.

I sure Funki Dunki drove back to the UK for a short camping holiday Sep 15 to 21st , i know lots of friends that did , or at least they think thats when it was if asked . :whistle:

[brucie1]

as far as im aware you had to be in receipt before moving to spain ie over 60 by your figures your husband was  57 you were 49 so sorry but you don't qualify unless you kept a property in uk

[Optomist]

Hello I am 59 my husband is 67, we have lived in Spain for 10 years
How do youqualify for heating allowance ?
Thanks

Dont take it as gospel but if you go onto the Gov website you can download the correct form for claiming from here and i think you have until about March 2015 to make a backdated claim for 2014 . I did it for a friend 2 years ago and he receives the previous year and every year after but i don't know if its changed but only takes a minute to find out and could be worth 200 quid to you .

Found it , sorry not read it this time but im sure you will manage ok
.

Sorry i gave wrong link , this is correct one ........

https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/overview

[Ian Young]

Very true, they are truly biting the hand that fed them

[zilnor]

Here in Burton on a Trent, it snowed on Boxing Day. For the last four nights temperatures have been below freezing and daytime temps have not risen above two degrees. Similar in many parts of the UK. During seven years of living in Spain, we never experienced such low temperatures. Yes, it can be very cold away from the coast in Andalucia and we had a snowfall our first winter near Albox ( Jan 2007) but it can be argued that the average winter temps are higher in Spain. That said, it seems unfair to remove WFA from expats who have paid into the Brit tax and NIC system during their working lives.
Wonder what they will spend the saving on ? More immigrants ?  :whistle: More single mothers with  six children by six different fathers ?  :whistle: Workshy lowlifes who make a career out of living off benefits ?  :whistle:  Don't suppose it will be used to help pensioners living in the UK !

[FunkiDunki]

Hello I am 59 my husband is 67, we have lived in Spain for 10 years
How do youqualify for heating allowance ?
Thanks

[Tetley]

It's absurd and offensive that taxpayers fund payments for people who have retired to the Mediterranean
Iain Duncan Smith


unless of coarse.... they have a vote........ and vote tory... ;D

[byrney]

So, ex-pats in Calais (North and cold) will lose payments, yet ex-pats in Sorrento (South and hot) won't - as IDS says - "absurd"!

[gingernut]

If it's not the grand kids people are going back to the UK. for at least they can go back for the fuel allowance.

[MELEE]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2856280/An-end-madness-winter-fuel-cash-expats-Costa-del-Sol-bill-reaches-130million-law-changed.html