News0 min ago
EU put the boot into Britain once more...
12 Answers
This was on News 24 this morning (can't find the BBC link):
http://
Surely those wo have shunned the country to live abroad should not get these payments. Is there a better way to do this for home resident pensioners that will not fall foul of our EU enemies?
http://
Surely those wo have shunned the country to live abroad should not get these payments. Is there a better way to do this for home resident pensioners that will not fall foul of our EU enemies?
Answers
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Why should someone's entitlements following contributions for 40 years or more be disregarded simply because of where they choose to spend their retirement?
And, you may not realise this, but many of those places eg Majorca are cold and wet in the winter
And all of them probably require incremental expenditure on air-con in summer.
Or perhaps you think all 'pension entitlements' should be means tested?
If so, let me know and i'll see what i can do about stopping all my contributions right now.
And, you may not realise this, but many of those places eg Majorca are cold and wet in the winter
And all of them probably require incremental expenditure on air-con in summer.
Or perhaps you think all 'pension entitlements' should be means tested?
If so, let me know and i'll see what i can do about stopping all my contributions right now.
Agree with Zeuhl.
Pretty petty to try and not give folk what they are due and have contributed to through their taxes and NI, never mind the other income that they have generated for the UK......
As an aside, you ought to try returning to Britain as a Brit from living overseas and how bias the system is to incoming "aliens"........
Pretty petty to try and not give folk what they are due and have contributed to through their taxes and NI, never mind the other income that they have generated for the UK......
As an aside, you ought to try returning to Britain as a Brit from living overseas and how bias the system is to incoming "aliens"........
Once more? The ruling blamed for this was in 2002. Have The Telegraph's man and News 24 only just noticed ?
If a person keeps a bank account in the UK and has their pension paid directly to it, would this be used for paying the winter fuel allowance directly too? If so,how easy would it be to spot that they had moved abroad to somewhere warm enough to make the payment superfluous?
If a person keeps a bank account in the UK and has their pension paid directly to it, would this be used for paying the winter fuel allowance directly too? If so,how easy would it be to spot that they had moved abroad to somewhere warm enough to make the payment superfluous?
Whether the payment is "superfluous" is not the point, Fred.
Many pensioners living in the UK do not "need" the Winter Fuel Allowance (i.e. they will not suffer freezing conditions should they not receive it) and so, for them, it may appear to be superfluous. However, it is considered part of the State pension package and is not (for the moment anyway) subject to a means test or a test to see if it is needed or not.
Most recipients have paid quite high (compulsory) contributions for their State pension and indeed many of them would have received better returns had they been allowed to keep their contributions and invested them themselves. There is no earthly reason why their pension package should be influenced by their choice of residence in their retirement. There is already a restriction on people receiving cost fo living increments if they choose to live in a country which "does not have a reciprocal arrangement with the UK". This is totally unjust and seeks to connect the State pension (for which recipients have paid) too closely with State benefits (which many recipients have not). Any attempt to restrict the Winter Fuel Allowance on the grounds of place of residence would be equally unjust.
Many pensioners living in the UK do not "need" the Winter Fuel Allowance (i.e. they will not suffer freezing conditions should they not receive it) and so, for them, it may appear to be superfluous. However, it is considered part of the State pension package and is not (for the moment anyway) subject to a means test or a test to see if it is needed or not.
Most recipients have paid quite high (compulsory) contributions for their State pension and indeed many of them would have received better returns had they been allowed to keep their contributions and invested them themselves. There is no earthly reason why their pension package should be influenced by their choice of residence in their retirement. There is already a restriction on people receiving cost fo living increments if they choose to live in a country which "does not have a reciprocal arrangement with the UK". This is totally unjust and seeks to connect the State pension (for which recipients have paid) too closely with State benefits (which many recipients have not). Any attempt to restrict the Winter Fuel Allowance on the grounds of place of residence would be equally unjust.
We've had this discussion on here before.
Those who think pensioners abroad shouldn't get the payments seem to fall into three camps:
The "They've shunned Britain" camp. As though moving abroad was some kind of treachery, and not a simple lifestyle choice.
The "They mus be rich" camp. Based entirely on ignorance.
The "It doesn't get cold abroad" camp. Also based entirely on ignorance.
Those who think pensioners abroad shouldn't get the payments seem to fall into three camps:
The "They've shunned Britain" camp. As though moving abroad was some kind of treachery, and not a simple lifestyle choice.
The "They mus be rich" camp. Based entirely on ignorance.
The "It doesn't get cold abroad" camp. Also based entirely on ignorance.
NJ, I seem to recall an argument that the allowance should be means tested here, an argument rejected because that would be too expensive to implement and administer.
It has been suggested in the past that those who don't have need of a 'heating allowance' should give it to charity. I recall celebrities putting forward such a scheme. My mother used to give hers to her gardener. As an allowance it didn't go far towards heating a home all winter, but it helped him quite a bit. Perhaps the government should call it something else, if it is meant to be part of the pension arrangement as you and others suggest?
It has been suggested in the past that those who don't have need of a 'heating allowance' should give it to charity. I recall celebrities putting forward such a scheme. My mother used to give hers to her gardener. As an allowance it didn't go far towards heating a home all winter, but it helped him quite a bit. Perhaps the government should call it something else, if it is meant to be part of the pension arrangement as you and others suggest?
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