'This is madness! Expats should not be keeping the winter fuel payment' | Storm Huntley

millions of older people in the UK will lose theirs this winter but it's reported that up to 35,000 Brits living in Europe could keep theirs at least until next year this is thanks to the brexit withdrawal agreement Wilfred I didn't give you a chance to have your say glad you gave me a chance because this sort of stuff is absolutely Furious I wouldn't even have thought that actually if you're living abroad that you're entitled to this sort of benefit what Madness is going on with government it should only apply for people in this country so all this stuff about you're entitled we not entitled you're only entitled Sy does make any difference if you choose to go live in another country you don't get your pension well you in terms of the stuff we're talking about these allowances no we're doing special allowances you don't get it it's only should apply for people who are living in this country but you're happy for them to get their pension I'm happy for them to get their sort of pension but I'm not happy for them to get this allowance the same benefits that pensioners in this country would okay let's go to calls then Christine from T and where what's your view hi storm hi the panel um I'd just like to say that I think they should be actually living in the country exactly actually get what the benefits are you know in the need to be in this suffering this weather to actually pay this bill but I think the idea is that the pension wasn't covering the cost of living for pensioners and that's why they were given these winter fuel allowances so if we're saying that the pension isn't cost isn't covering the cost of living then those getting their pensions abroad would be suffering too so shouldn't they get the help no because specifically for that it's for the the gas electric and people are suffering in this climate at the moment I mean man but it's it's not warm everywhere abroad Christine and certainly it gets cold even in Spain and I should say actually Christine it's for example France and Spain which like are warmer countries aren't eligible Germany Ireland Iceland yeah well I if Iceland's covered is it probably yeah I mean like they're eligible for their pensions I doubt you cribble with that and the state pension in Britain is actually significantly lower than other European countries I think it should be higher um and the winter fuel payment compensates for that I just think if you pay in you should get something back and uh if they're richer Britain with assets back at at home then just tax them more what do you think Christine oh all everybody C are different and that needs to be held into account of what's coming into the household and what the circumstances are are fair enough to pay they've got that pension but they paided into that so they say they have as well for the witer fuel payment they've paid in all their lives haven't they I mean what you why why would you say they should on your logic why would they have a pension because they paid into that over the worked theyve paid entitled to the pension they're entitled for the same reason for fuel payment they've paid into the system it's the same principle they've paid in and they get something back they've paid into the Social Security System no but it's it's the bills I'm focused on okay we're not convincing okay it's the same thing though thank you very much for your call Carol from West Sussex what's your view on this winter F winter fuel payments for those living uh abroad oh good morning storman panel um well I don't think it's fair um them still with in it because um I lost my husband 15 months ago and um I got my um electric discount stopped um my husband worked well we both worked hard all their lives and he had all the full stamps on and everything and um and now they're going to cut me winter flu I don't know how I'm going to manage I mean I can't get it I'm not on pension credit because I was4 over so um now um unless say I'm on alen benefit and I get the full alen benefit and a council tax paid but they don't include that in in housing benefit is one of the benefits that would mean you would qualify for for the winter fuel payments no it it doesn't it I won't get it I'm so sorry Carol I thought I thought that that would have included you so you're on you're one of these pensioners that will be on the sort of cusp of really really struggling this winter because this payment will will be lost do you not feel sympathy for people who are living in Europe who will be in the same boat as you yeah but at the end of the day the I mean they've got a the better climate they're not going to get as cold weather as we get Ireland are they well in Ireland they would Carol Germany have you been to Berlin in the winter it's a lot it's a lot colder than here Carol it's shocking what's happened to you I'm sorry about your husband by the way and it's people like you you should be getting your winter fuel payment the two million pensioners in this country going to really struggle with the government taking that away um and and that's what we should be focused on I don't I get frustrated when we end up in a situation where people like yourself who should be angry instead of being angry at the government saying you should give me the winter fuel payment you think want to take it away from other pensioners instead um the fact is you've paid in all your life so as your husband you should be getting that as an entitlement and uh the way to solve that is if there are better off pensioners one in four pensioners and millionaires they should pay more so that poorer and struggling pensioners uh aren't hammered in the way you are it's outrageous or something like this carol wish I'm sort of living like week to week I've got I I've got no savings but people that have got savings can actually apply for pension credit and and they have their own properties my own house but I had to sell it under circumstances and um and I'm and I don't know I've tried to apply for the winter fuel but they said that it's only people on means tested benefits benefits Carol I I I don't know what to say to you and I don't know what help I can give you I just wish you all the best best um getting through this this winter and just keep asking people what other sort of help I suppose you might be able to get thank you very much for your call and and sharing with us the problem that a lot of pensioners will be facing this winter Anita from Kent how do you feel about this well it does seem as suppose on the face of things a little unfair yes I think it is um I was a nurse for 45 years and I had to give up work at 63 because of health issues and so I didn't get my state pension till I was 66 now because of that NHS pension I'm 250 over the the amount that I can you know I can be paid and so I have to pay for everything I get no help at all I live on my own um and so the winter fuel payment yes I I really um needed that it's very very cold where I am I'm in where I am in CL I'm opposite the river with the temps but um and it gets very cold down here so what I have to do is just pile on more and more clothes now my mom was the same she got1 p25 too much a month because she had half my dad's police pension and he he done 40 years um for that not thinking Mom would be safe I'm in the same position now the people that are going abroad have got the money to get over to another country surely that means that your colleague there with the with the beard he doesn't know what he's talking about people that are better off I'm in that situation because having I do think I need to I think Owen does appreciate that there are people that will be people on the the borderline of this I think you misunderstand I think all pensioners should get the winter fuel payment I don't support any pensioners having apart from the very wealthy pensioners no you just tax them more the whole problem if you take away if you make winter fuel payment means tested that's what you're talking about pension credit is means tested and 30% of pensioners who should be getting pension credit aren't getting pension credit that's the consequence and now what's going to happen to those P those people is not only do they not get the pension credit they're not going to get wi fuel payment and then there are people above that who get it either if you means test you always end up with people who need help not getting it the only way of ensuring it is everyone gets it and then if they're better off and I'm only talking about better off pensioners they should then be taxed more people like you should be taxed more your a pensioner should be getting a winter fuel I just want to hear from Wilford what do you think about that wealthier pensioners being taxed more in order to give everybody these winter fuel payments look most of the people they're ringing up are quite sensible the thing that's really irritating me and people like them is that you're living abroad and you're getting this winter payment okay as far as any logic goes that should only apply to people who live in this country to start going down this route of taxing sort of wealthy pensioners I think it's missing the point of this I just think it is wrong that if you're abroad you're getting this particular sorry so even if all pensioners in this country were still getting their winter fuel payment you would object to those living abroad and would OB of you abroad that you're getting this it's a tiny number of people by the way it's really tiny 35,000