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Post by JohnP on Jul 3, 2013 17:41:20 GMT 1
I'm not a pensioner, so I have just checked out the amount of the winter fuel allowance. £200 is not a fortune, in fact to someone like me it's hardly anything, so maybe I can see why those who make these decisions don't really understand or care. £200 is roughly the cost of a return flight or ferry trip back to the UK, so maybe people will be able to make one less journey home a year. So what? I'm not being flippant here, just trying to show the attitude of those not affected by the cut in the WFA for expats. Is it really such a big deal? You are absolutely right, To many people £200.00 or approx 236.00€ is not a big deal but to someone on a basic pension it is 250 litres of fuel or just over a corde of wood. That aside, it is the unfairness of the system that I question.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2013 20:05:41 GMT 1
I'm not a pensioner, so I have just checked out the amount of the winter fuel allowance. £200 is not a fortune, in fact to someone like me it's hardly anything, so maybe I can see why those who make these decisions don't really understand or care. £200 is roughly the cost of a return flight or ferry trip back to the UK, so maybe people will be able to make one less journey home a year. So what? I'm not being flippant here, just trying to show the attitude of those not affected by the cut in the WFA for expats. Is it really such a big deal? How can you say £200 is not a lot of money, obviously not for you but I know a fair few pensioners depend on that to get their wood or pay with heating.Plus I do think its flippant to say it's hardly anything.Sorry to sound grumpy but a lot of people go without heating because they can't afford it,to them its either food or heating.
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Post by Granada Gordon on Jul 4, 2013 8:20:03 GMT 1
And if I may add my thoughts.... Well as we live in Sunny Spain most people might say that we shouldn't receive 'Winter Fuel Allowance', however if they really knew the truth then they would probably double it for us. We have at least 3 months during the winter when it is really bone chilling cold and of course as you get older you do feel the cold more. Now at the moment we could do with a Punkah Wallah sat in the corner with a giant fan, or maybe we could apply for a 'Summer Cooling Allowance' ? And should we rightfully receive the allowance,.... well of course we should, we worked for 50 years and I started paying into the system at age 15 and never had any other benefits during my working life...Moan over !!
Nice to be back amongst such nice intellectual civil people...by the way !!!
CU....Gordon..
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Post by Ali on Jul 4, 2013 8:24:12 GMT 1
Gordon !!!!! Wonderfully brilliant to see you back Hope all is well xx
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Post by judith on Jul 4, 2013 11:10:24 GMT 1
Sorry, sabjac, but my post was all about seeing things from different perspectives, so I can say £200 is hardly anything! Like on BBC Breakfast today they were talking about the pittance each household could save by not filling a kettle or by having a quick shower. A certain percentage of the population couldn't care less and would rather pay up than have to worry. It just depends on your lifestyle. No one I know does their washing at 30 degrees to save money and I am sure the likes of George Osbourne have the dishwasher on every day without giving any thought to the cost.
It is right to say that for someone abroad on a basic pension, £200 would go nicely towards their wood and fuel, but just as hostility builds up towards say many students protesting about tuition fees, so it is the same towards retirees who have left the country moaning about the cuts in their WFA. I am half tempted to say that is we folk in the middle currently working hard and directly paying into the coffers who jump up and down and protest the least. Heaven help us when our retirement days come!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2013 21:39:56 GMT 1
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Post by JohnP on Jul 5, 2013 6:25:24 GMT 1
Signed
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Post by rainbowchaser10 on Jul 5, 2013 8:59:03 GMT 1
Me too!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2013 9:37:08 GMT 1
I've signed it too....
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2013 9:40:53 GMT 1
And me.
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