UK Ex pat Winter Fuel payment - Page 2

Hi, yes I agree with you. People on holiday get the wrong impression and think we have super weather 24/7. The temperatures at the moment are unusual for November but the colder temps around the corner. 

J

Here is the Q Code for those that wish to support the petition 

We have regularly spent five weeks in Cómpeta from the beginning of February, and have also been in Malaga in January frequently. The weather in our home town is nothing like what we have experienced in Andalucia. I am aware that it snows there sometimes, and when it does , all the old men come out and tell you it hasn’t snowed since they can remember . Selective memory! However, a quick look at the mean temperatures for Bedfordshire and the Axarquia is convincing enough for me . It’s 10° where I come from , right now . 

There are 28 European countries of which 25 still get the Old Age Pensioner UK winter fuel allowance. The three that do not, France, Portugal and Spain used to receive the payment but were deprived of this benefit when the parameters were changed to exclude, the less UK Ex pat populated areas of those countries, but to include their overseas territories such as the Canary islands. The reason UK Ex pats in Italy remain eligible is that they have no such overseas territories.

My petition is to reinstate the Winter Fuel Allowance that we had removed with a contrived and dramatic change in the parameters.

A holiday in Spain is very unlike living here throughout the cold winter nights.

Hi 

I visit Spain in winter, i live in Scotland & glad to get a bit of sun but I do feel its colder at night.

For ppl who live their all time it will feel colder in Winter

I lived in Singapore for 2yrs & you acclimatise  over time, getting used to heat took months. I spent about 6 months under a fan during day time.

I can attest to fact the longer you stay, you do feel difference, in temperatures

Cathy .

Right now the days are sunny and quite warm but the nights are rather cold and damp. We rarely need heating in the daytime as we can wrap up with extra clothing when necessary but when the sun goes down so does the temperature and extra clothing just makes one colder.

How is it that in 25 of 28 European countries, British ex pats have the winter fuel allowance, but not in Spain, France and Portugal that have OVERSEAS territories in warmer climates that have been used to distort the winter temperatures and deprive us of the benefit.

Yes I agree. When we first came here (13 years ago) I thought the winter was marvellous and bragged to my UK friends about it but now after our lovely hot summers the winters seem no different from the UK.

Take care and keep smiling

J

Where we live in the UK it is 10 degrees tonight dropping to 2 degrees in a few days time. I think it's a bit funny people saying they need a winter fuel allowance for Spain, have you watched the UK weather this winter while we sit in the sun on the paseo every day?