Anti-government protests against planned eco-tax Violence, protests and revolt have engulfed France in what is becoming a winter of discontent >> Page 8 for President Hollande.
Limousin December 2013 Issue #50
UK set to axe expat Winter Fuel Payments The Winter Fuel Payment, received by British pensioners living in France, will be scrapped from 2015. Under a new "temperature test", France is now considered too hot to be eligible for the payment. lier this year, Osborne explained how the government planned to get around paying the allowance to expat pensioners: “We will link the Winter Fuel Payment to a temperature test. People in hot countries will no longer get it; it is after all a payment for winter fuel. Paying out even more money to people from all nationalities who may have worked in this country years ago but no longer live here is not a fair use of the nation’s cash.” Whilst many would agree that those living in tropical climates should possibly not receive the WFP at the British taxpayer's expense, those of us living in France may question whether it really is that “hot” here. After all, as this is being written in mid-November, much of France is covered by a carpet of snow! As details of the chancellor's “temperature test” emerged, it would appear that pensioners living in France
NEWS - Baby found living in boot of car
Mechanics at a garage discovered a baby apparently living in the boot of a woman's car >> Page 3
NEWS - France reach World Cup
Following a dramatic 3-0 win against the Ukraine in the second leg of their play-off, France will be heading to Rio next year >> Page 12
BILINGUAL - White Christmas
We take a look at the British obsession with the idea of a perfect white Christmas >> Page 16
© 2006 - cap21photo (Flickr)
T
he British chancellor, George Osborne, has announced that pensioners living in “hot” countries will no longer receive the Winter Fuel Payment (WFP) from the winter of 2015. Until recently, only those who gained entitlement to the annual payment before they left the UK could claim it from abroad, but an EU ruling last year meant that anyone who is able to prove a “genuine and sufficient link to the UK” now qualifies for the WFP when they reach pension age. As claims flooded in from across Europe, the Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, was irate: “We will fight these ridiculous EU rules. It is ludicrous we could have to pay more pensioners living in hot countries,” he said at the time. In a statement to the Commons ear-
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A couple have won a landmark ruling against a wind farm which must now be taken down >> Page 10
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