Expats living abroad ‘can claim winter fuel allowance’
16 February 2010
Expats living overseas in countries such as Spain, Portugal and Greece continue to receive the winter fuel allowance, it was claimed today.
Some 63,740 expats received the state-funded allowance of between £125 and £400 each winter, meaning almost £14 million goes abroad each year, according to the Press Association.
The allowance is received by British citizens aged 60 or over who are usually resident in the UK and meet certain stipulated requirements.
Anyone who was eligible for the allowance before moving to a country in the European Economic Area or Switzerland still qualifies for the government funding.
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."
Despite many, including Mr. Elliot, wanting the payment stopped from going to expats, under European Union law, Britain is not allowed to discriminate against those living in other European Union countries.
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