UK Cold weather payments

[desmartinson]

Spot on Baz  

[Marggie]

January last saw subzero temperatures and not for just a couple of days.  I never thought I would see people scraping car windscreens in Fethiye also Kipa sell Antifreeze which I'm sure will surprise many people.

Many people lost shrubs and plants to the hard frosts.

Yes it can be lovely through the day but when the sun goes down temperatures drop like a stone.

We have not had an electric blanket in the UK for 30 odd years but certainly need one in Turkey - probably one of our best buys!

[stoop]

If you read my post you will see I said not for those who live in warm climates. Trust me when I say I know how bad the winters are in Turkey - I have been a member of this forum for many years and as a house owner know lots of people who live there. I know how cold it gets in the winter and if there is a temperature means test imposed and the part of Turkey you live in meets the criteria than I would hope those in need receive the payment.

What I don't agree with is those that live in places with warm winters getting the payment. Why should someone living in the South of Spain or anywhere where temperatures do not fall so low get a payment they don't need?

Also it doesn't wash saying fuel costs are higher in another country when it was your choice to move there in the first place!

[stoop]

Stoop you have obviously not lived here in winter, believe me mate it gets cold. I would think that the cost of keeping a house warm here during the winter could be more expensive than the UK, because fuel prices are so high and lack of insulation in the building of the houses here.

If someone receives their pension before they left the UK they get to keep the winter fuel payment, if you receive your pension after you left the UK, you are not eligible, at present. Is it colder for those that were in receipt of their pensions and winter fuel payment before they arrived? Did they pay more into the system before they left the UK? sure looks like discrimination to me. If they let me have my pension free of UK tax it would not be so bad, but I still HAVE to pay UK tax on my pension for absolutely buqqer all, I suppose it is to help subsidise all you lot that still live there!!!

Also, Turkey may not be in the EU, but I am still a citizen of an EU country, no matter where I live in the world!!

Actually Baz, those who are in receipt of their pensions before they move abroad more than likely HAVE paid more into the system by virtue of the fact they were probably still working and paying tax/NI contributions/VAT etc etc - whereas those moving much younger would not be paying anywhere near as much.

Also stating that your house is less insulated and fuel is more expensive - see above

[Highlander]

Actually Baz, those who are in receipt of their pensions before they move abroad more than likely HAVE paid more into the system by virtue of the fact they were probably still working and paying tax/NI contributions/VAT etc etc - whereas those moving much younger would not be paying anywhere near as much.

Not a valid argument I'm afaid - a Consultant Surgeon will have paid more in than a School Dinner Lady.

Diverbaz 1 - I would be generally surprised if the total fuel bill over the year is more in Turkey than in the UK

[stoop]

Actually Baz, those who are in receipt of their pensions before they move abroad more than likely HAVE paid more into the system by virtue of the fact they were probably still working and paying tax/NI contributions/VAT etc etc - whereas those moving much younger would not be paying anywhere near as much.

Not a valid argument I'm afaid - a Consultant Surgeon will have paid more in than a School Dinner Lady.

Diverbaz 1 - I would be generally surprised if the total fuel bill over the year is more in Turkey than in the UK

It is valid H as a Consultant Surgeon moving abroad at 50 would pay far less than the same consultant working until 65. It's not about how much you earn and contribute but about how many years you have contributed.

Turkey doesn't qualify anyway as they are not in the EEA - wikki:

The EEA Agreement was signed in Porto on 2 May 1992 by the then seven states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), the European Community (EC) and its then 12 member states.[4][5] On 6 December 1992, Switzerland's voters rejected the ratification of the agreement in a constitutionally-mandated referendum,[6] effectively freezing the application for EC membership submitted earlier in the year. Switzerland is instead linked to the EU by a series of bilateral agreements. On 1 January 1995, three erstwhile members of EFTA—Austria, Finland and Sweden—acceded to the European Union, which superseded the European Community upon the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty on 1 November 1993. Liechtenstein's participation in the EEA was delayed until 1 May 1995.[7]

At present, the contracting parties to the EEA are the EU and its 27 member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom), as well as the three EEA/EFTA States, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

[Diverbaz 1]

As I said before, I am still contributing and always will while I receive my pension, so not valid Stoop.

One other thing, maybe we should get hot weather allowance as well, because living here we have both heating in winter and cooling in summer, therefore a lot more expensive than the UK to keep an even temperature year round.  

And again as I said before, I am a citizen of an EU country still, what's it got to do with Turkey not being in the EU.

[stoop]

As I said before, I am still contributing and always will while I receive my pension, so not valid Stoop.

One other thing, maybe we should get hot weather allowance as well, because living here we have both heating in winter and cooling in summer, therefore a lot more expensive than the UK to keep an even temperature year round.  

But you are not paying all the other taxes that I am paying - like VAT/NI/fuel tax etc etc. You pay most of your taxes in Turkey now. If you had stayed in the UK to full pension age and then moved to a qualifying country then I can understand why you would receive the payment. Leaving younger was your choice not the governments.

It's all immaterial anyway as Turkey doesn't qualify as things stand. If they ever get to qualify then those who meet the criteria (whatever it is at that time) should get it. I suspect temperature means testing would allow you to get it but don't bank on it. They will probably say something like it has to be below freezing for so many days or weeks before it kicks in.

As H says though - you probably pay less than us per year anyway for heating.

[Diverbaz 1]

I got my 40 years in that were required for a full pension entitlement (now reduced to 30 years) so I have contributed more than most people now have to. The spongers will get more than I ever will, and to you that's fair. Because I choose to live abroad after paying my dues to make sure those in the UK can have their winter fuel benefit. Get real Stoop.

[stoop]

It's all immaterial anyway as Turkey doesn't qualify as things stand. If they ever get to qualify then those who meet the criteria (whatever it is at that time) should get it. I suspect temperature means testing would allow you to get it but don't bank on it. They will probably say something like it has to be below freezing for so many days or weeks before it kicks in.

Big problem is Baz that there are many people who went abroad to avoid paying UK tax. Why should they get the same as the guy who has lived in the UK all his working life and paid whatever tax he has been asked to pay?

Do you think it's fair that a millionaire in Monaco gets the same as the basic state pensioner in the UK?

The bottom line is that although you paid in your 40 years - Baz living in the UK until he was 65 would have paid more into the UK tax system than Baz moving abroad at 55 (don't know what age you left but you get my point). So is not Baz at 65 subsidising Baz at 55?

As for the spongers and wasters - I cannot disagree with you on that at all.