Air France holds whipround to buy fuel
After an emergency landing in war-torn Syria and with top-level diplomats on board, Air France ask first class passengers for cash to buy fuel. >> Page 7
September 2012 Issue #35
British expats to get winter fuel payment
INSIDE > > > How green were the London Olympics...?
We take a look at the 'green' credentials of the the Games >> Page 10
FINANCE - Top Tax Tips
♦ European court ruling means all expat pensioners qualify for winter fuel payment ♦ £200 per year, £300 for over-80s ♦ 445,000 British expat pensioners now qualify for the payment while those with someone over 80 get £300. The case could cost the British government millions, as around 445,000 expat pensioners live overseas. Under the old rules, only 73,000 of those pensioners were eligible. As online message boards buzzed with speculation of what the European ruling would mean, the UK’s International Pension Centre released the following update: “In the past people could only claim winter fuel payment if they had already acquired entitlement in the UK before moving abroad. Following a judgement in the European Court of Justice in 2011, people who did not receive the winter fuel payment in the
>> continued on page 6
BILINGUAL - The art of Conkers © 2012 - Stanislav Vedmid (WikiCommons)
B
ritish pensioners in France and across Europe could receive an unexpected bonus this year as they become eligible for the UK winter fuel payment. Under previous rules, pensioners had to be living in the UK until they retired in order for the payments to continue if they moved abroad. But following a ruling from the European Court of Justice all pensioners living outside the UK who receive the state pension must also now be paid the fuel allowance. The ruling follows a recent challenge by an elderly expat living in Switzerland who claimed the British government was unfair by not paying the allowance to all pensioners. Currently, households with someone on a state pension qualify for £200,
Financial experts Siddalls share their top tips for French and UK tax residents >> Page 11
As Autumn approaches, we investigate that most British of schoolyard pastimes... conker fights! >> Page 13
Two of France's top footballers have been charged with hiring an underage prostitute >> Page 9
Your indispensible guide to the region's Businesses >> Centre Pages