It Never Gets Cold in Spain Iain Duncan Smith

Perhaps you could clarify what you said, only it seems very clear to me.

How many of you REALLY need the WFA?
How many of you decry the abuse of the benefit system?
Those who REALLY need should get but that will not happen while those that do not need cannot wait to get their snouts in the trough.
VERY few people here need the WFA, yet it is unbelievable that it is such an emotive issue.
I have been raised in a family that would do everything they could to avoid taking social support, it was a matter of pride.
I am amazed at the shameless greed of some people.
If you have, be happy. Take a look at what the have nots have been dished up, in many cases through no fault of their own.
Remember, there are many people who spend their life on the streets. We cannot imagine what that must be like, just look out of your window now.

Always gets people going, this one.
However.
Of the 300,000 (approx) Brit expats registered in Spain, only about 6 or 7000 actually live away from the warm coastal region.
As Jan says, we don't have our heating on 24 hours a day for 5 or 6 months of the year. Even in this very cold week (which is highly unusual as we used to visit in January and go home with suntans) I doubt the heating needs to be on more than a few hours a day.
The fuel allowance is paid by refunding the VAT paid on domestic fuel in UK. We don't pay VAT to the UK on fuel. The Spanish elderly don't get a reduction so why should we?
Really, if someone is going to move from UK to a foreign country with all the expense, life changing styles and so on, having to rely on £3.85 a week to get by beggars the question why make the move in the first place?
To pay for aircon? Get real.

Oh dear, everyone seems to be missing the point.
Either pay all pensioners WFA or none as we've all paid in the same.

BUT best to do away with the WFA anyway and increase pensions.

For a government to have to give its pensioners an 'allowance' is debasing to humanity.
Our pensioners have worked all their lives and are now supposed to be enjoying the privileges of age and should be living their third age without having to get pittances from their government.
Makes us feel like the beggars sitting outside the supermarkets with their bowls saying 'thank you very much' to the goevernment for their paltry £200 per year.

Its time UK respected their pensioners like the Spanish respect their pensionistas and give us some real financial increases rather than fob us off with menial 'allowances'!

marcliff wrote:Even in this very cold week (which is highly unusual as we used to visit in January and go home with suntans) I doubt the heating needs to be on more than a few hours a day.

Ours is on from 6am till 11.30pm. And that`s with fitted carpets throughout the house.

Well said again Martin as you say people are missing the point.

Pay pensioners a decent pension and there's no need for wfa.
Easy.

TerryG wrote:

marcliff wrote:Even in this very cold week (which is highly unusual as we used to visit in January and go home with suntans) I doubt the heating needs to be on more than a few hours a day.

Ours is on from 6am till 11.30pm. And that`s with fitted carpets throughout the house.

Well do something about your house. Fit proper double glazing, insulation and so on.
We had ours on timer for an hour this morning so it was warm when we got up. Just put the gas fire on for an hour and turned it off because it was getting really warm. In UK you'd have proper double glazing instead of the fitted, very thin, ones they have here. Check all the seals around the windows, we found big gaps which we sealed properly. Insulation tape inside the window sliders and draught excluders under the doors.
It costs half what you'd pay in UK for proper windows which makes the biggest difference.
(Apologies if you've already done it, I know some properties here do not retain heat but there are things you can do).

I was always brought up [Yorkshire] on the understanding that there is no such thing as bad weather...just bad clothes.
We do seem to have a section of society that seems to think that the Govt is there to support them. Its not.
I dont want to see old people in Britain freezing cold in the winter, so I am happy they get an allowance, but Spain, honestly and please tell the truth...is there anyone out there that is so cold that cant afford to get warm, if so I am happy to do what I can to help...please contact me.
Just remember the Govt coffers are not a bottomless pit, the money that you receive may mean that someone more needy is missing out