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Expats demanding winter fuel allowance show proof of wintry conditions
| Published: | 22 Jan at 2 PM |
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Thousands of UK expats across the Europe are campaigning to ensure their winter fuel payments are not scrapped, and many have now taken to sending photos to show just how cold conditions are in the countries they live in during the winter months.
Under a new government proposal, expats living in Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, France, Malta, Cyprus and Greece will no longer receive their winter fuel allowances (around £200- £300 per year) as of next winter because the countries they live in are considered too warm.
However, expats in these Mediterranean nations have been pleading with MPs to reverse the proposal because they maintain the way the average temperatures are recorded in these countries is unfair. The ruling stipulates that if a country has an average winter temperature warmer than the warmest region in the UK then the expats are not entitled to the benefit.
But Brits living in France, for example, argue that the countries average national temperature figures include territories such as Reunion, off the coast of Madagascar, and the Caribbean island of Martinique. They claim that if these temperatures were not included in working out the average, the average temperature in France would be low enough to qualify them for the payment.
Expats in France have also noted that UK citizens living in Italy’s Tuscany region would qualify for the payment because the country’s average temperature is brought down by Alpine regions that are home to barely any expats.
Greece and Cyprus have also endured cold winters, leading to concerned expats emailing photos of the freezing conditions to MPs in the UK.
Under a new government proposal, expats living in Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, France, Malta, Cyprus and Greece will no longer receive their winter fuel allowances (around £200- £300 per year) as of next winter because the countries they live in are considered too warm.
However, expats in these Mediterranean nations have been pleading with MPs to reverse the proposal because they maintain the way the average temperatures are recorded in these countries is unfair. The ruling stipulates that if a country has an average winter temperature warmer than the warmest region in the UK then the expats are not entitled to the benefit.
But Brits living in France, for example, argue that the countries average national temperature figures include territories such as Reunion, off the coast of Madagascar, and the Caribbean island of Martinique. They claim that if these temperatures were not included in working out the average, the average temperature in France would be low enough to qualify them for the payment.
Expats in France have also noted that UK citizens living in Italy’s Tuscany region would qualify for the payment because the country’s average temperature is brought down by Alpine regions that are home to barely any expats.
Greece and Cyprus have also endured cold winters, leading to concerned expats emailing photos of the freezing conditions to MPs in the UK.
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