Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)BRITISH expats living in Spain are still receiving their winter fuel allowance, it was claimed this week.
Last year the allowance was given to 63,740 expats in Greece and Portugal as well as Spain, amounting to around 14 million pounds of tax money.
The allowance, between 125 and 400 pounds, is given to British citizens who are over 60 and usually resident in the UK, among other stipulations.
Britain can’t discriminate against anyone living within the EU under European law so Britons can still collect the money when abroad.
Matthew Elliot of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: “To get the deficit under control, cuts in unnecessary benefits are going to be essential. We should start with winter fuel payments to retirees in the Algarve.”
“Matthew Elliot of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: “To get the deficit under control, cuts in unnecessary benefits are going to be essential. We should start with winter fuel payments to retirees in the Algarve.”
He obviously hasn’t spent a winter in a Spanish house!
I can’t see what the difference is. We still need heating here in Spain during the winter and the British Government is only paying us what we’ve put into the system after a lifetime of work in the UK.
Mr Elliot obviously has a slight learning difficulty, or he’s just a mean sod. I’d say the latter. He does not realise that the former taxpayers who are receiving the fuel allowance have already paid for their allowances, via their taxes which they duly paid throughout their working lives. They have a perfect right to claim, and long may it continue.
Savings should start closer to home with the removal of Mr Elliot from his post. The EU at least got this law correct and Mr Elliot’s rant is a fundamental breach of human rights.
Matthew Elliot being a tight-fisted scumbag will presumably be be very pleased that although I am an early retiree and NOT in receipt of a State Pension yet (I am 62), I have paid UK Income Tax all my working life and I STILL pay UK Income Tax on my Private Pension AND do NOT and have BEEN TOLD I DO NOT QUALIFY FOR THE WINTER HEATING ALLOWANCE. BECAUSE I LEFT THE UK AND DID NOT APPLY FOR THE ALLOWANCE BEFORE I WAS 60 YEARS OF AGE,WHICH IS THE QUALIFYING AGE APPARENTLY? SO I MISSED OUT. WONDERFUL.YET Mr.Raghead who hasn’t paid a penny into the system can claim it if he is given “right of entry into the UK”.
I was invalided out of the R.A.F. having served what was my country which has now been taken over by foreigners(as far as I am concerned) When I asked about coming to Spain I was told by the local D.S.S. I would get all the benefits as if I was living in England. It is not a united kingdom, that’s for sure. Now I live here on the BASIC pension which is the lowest in western Europe. What has happened to the country I DEFENDED ?
I will defy Mr Elliot the bigot to come and stay with me for the winter in Spain between November and end of March and tell me its not cold, our houses do not have insulation they are very hot in the summer months between end of June and Middle of September got that, and dam cold in winter why does everyone think its hot here all year round it dam well is not, look at the spainish weather forecast for Nov Dec Jan and Feb somedays it was 4degrees we have oil central heating at the cost of 4,500 euros because I was so cold with just air con heating which is electric and at a cost of one bill alone in 2008 was 199 euro for one month
you have a good salary for what you do what ever that is, so just get on and do thing useful for the money you get from us ex tax payers,