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costa calida edition
January 2015
Friday September 18 - Thursday September 24 2015
Issue 151
Cartagena fiestas start today
Read your English newspaper online at www.roundtownnews.com
Fan the flames over WFA by Jack Troughton
Read the full story on page 16.
EXPAT PENSIONERS are being invited to bombard British MPs with complaints their winter fuel payments are being controversially axed this month. Spain is one of seven countries being denied the universal benefit after the Government introduced a temperature test – and was promptly accused of massaging figures. And the decision to end the payment was implemented via statutory instrument in the House of Commons; preventing any democratic debate before Parliament. A 20-page submission was submitted by the organisers of a Europe-wide campaign designed to protect pensioners living abroad and insist on democratic voting rights for all expats. However, when the detailed document, which highlighted the real winter temperatures for areas of Spain and France, was sent to the Select Committee on Work and Pensions it was sidelined. It was said to be outside the remit of the select committee which is investigating how the Department for Works and Pensions ‘delivers’ benefits and universal credit
correctly and promptly and any impact of delays and errors. POLICY The committee was said to be looking at the ‘administration’ of benefits while the government has ruled that the winter fuel allowance issue is a “policy” matter. Campaigners are now urging pensioners to write to their MP – or their last representative – outlining their anger at being denied the benefit because the information will be received by the committee chairman – MP Frank Field – when passed on from colleagues. Pensioners, many struggling to make ends meet, feel particularly aggrieved because they have contributed to the system all their working lives and say they are being discriminated against – a stance the EU is likely to support. Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to protect the elderly and not introduce means testing for winter fuel payments, free bus passes and free television licences.
Continued on page 9.