fuel payments

[berniecuddles]

Does this seem right!
British expats are now receiving over £16 million a year in winter fuel payments, even though many of them live in countries where they never have to put the heating on.

New figures released by Steve Webb, the pensions minister, in response to a parliamentary question show that 65,000 pensioners living abroad received the payment last year, more than double the number who received it five years ago.

[joeluke]

I don't begrudge the winter fuel payments being made to pensioners who still live in Britain because a lot of them genuinely need the money........but ex-pats should get feck all, they have chosen to live abroad and therefore any monies they receive should come from their chosen country of residence's governments coffers

Pensions should be the only thing that ex-pat pensioners can claim

[Sqad]

joeluke.....other countries are not "prats" like the UK.

They take the view, that exPats have paid no income tax into their country. so the ex pats are going to get "bu99er all" handouts.

The country that the exPats worked in all their lives and paid UK tax ( mostly at the higher rate) are daft enough to pay these handouts, then good luck to them.

[joeluke]

Point taken sqad.........but benefits like this and child benefit for foreigners who work over here but whose wife/partner and kids still live in their homeland are unjust ones

[Sqad]

joeluke....I agree...........but that is the fault of the UK Government......not exPats.

joe.....I dont need the Winter Allowance and I do take your point, however if you tried to give it back to the UK Government........you cant.

[pastafreak]

If an ex-pat does not NEED the Winter Fuel payment-then WHY apply for it in the first place?

[joeluke]

Sqad.......it wasn't ex-pats I was criticising, it was our crazy government(s) benefits system.......if I was an ex-pat I would of course willingly accept the winter fuel payment

A complete overhaul of our benefits system is needed.........using common sense

[Sqad]

pasta....I can´t remember applying for it.....but I must have done....I suppose.

loeluke........I agree.

[hc4361]

The expats must have been living in the UK and in receipt of it before emigrating.
Why shouldn't they get it? It can get flipping cold in Europe during the winter.

[Goodsoulette]

No, its an absolute disgrace. I know an old lady (my nan lol) who lives in france, is worth A LOT of money and justifies it by saying well we need it for the air conditioning. She can well afford it without the help yet my other nan, who has passed away, lived off a state pension, had no idea for years and years that she was entitled to housing benefit and made every penny she had stretch gave hers away to the British Heart Foundation. I don't begrudge them having it at all, but they should have it in some kind of voucher form.

[sp1814]

What about ex-pats who live in Canada, Switzerland or other cold countries?

[ChuckFickens]

"What about ex-pats who live in Canada, Switzerland"

They don't get the fuel allowance at all, neither are an EU country.

[modeller]

I understand what you are saying sqad but the money we pay into the NHS is an insurance for the time when we or our family may need it . After all we pay fire insurance but don't complain if we don't have a fire. That is the point of insurance 90% of us don't get any return on our premiums.

[SlackAlice]

How did they arrive at a figure of £16 million? 65,000 expats winter fuel payments would not equate to this.

[Sqad]

modeller...Income tax is not an insurance,,,,,,,when you pay it the money disappears to whoever and whatever.

In an insurance, your money goes to insuring just YOU....nobody else and you can stop paying an insurance whenever you like. Just try telling the Inland Revenue that you have decided against paying any more income tax.
That is the difference between insurance and income tax.

[sammmo]

I think they should still be able to claim because they are just as entitled to it as everyone else.. as sqad said alot of these people must have paid into the system all there working lives so why should'nt they reap some of the rewards.. also child benefit should be paid to the perants of ALL children not just the poor perants.. when you start to discriminate like this where is it all going to end.. one day some cameroony type person will come along and say "why pay that old age pensioner a pension when his or her children are earning over £40,000" certain benefits should be given to all.. end of..

[lucca]

Not joining the debate - just clarifying the "you have to apply for it the first time" thought - no, you don't. It just comes.