UK winter fuel allowance

[Penury]

Did the British government stop paying the 'winter fuel allowance' to those ex-pat state pensioners residing in Malta?

[FOXGLOVE]

yes

[DavidH]

The UK government have got it in for expats in the EU. See :-

www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/eligibilty

I contacted the pensions service and a nice young lady rang me back and explained that we weren't cold enough in Malta. I pointed out that the coldest day last winter was 6C but she said that it had to be below 5.9C on average. I didn't blame her, she was only the messenger, but I did ask how the government suggested I kept my home at at least 18C, which is part of the NHS guidelines, when the windchill that day took it down to -4C. She said my only recourse was to write to my MP which I haven't done as yet (strikes me as a waste of time as the decision was made in 2014). As you can see from the list of countries who don't qualify if we moved the few miles to Sicily or Italy we would get it.

There is a commonly held view in the UK that we sit round the pool in the winter sun sipping a glass of wine, the truth, of course, is that we sit round the fire sipping hot chocolate!

I shall now go and throw another chair leg on the fire.