Monday, December 15, 2008

The Elderly lady from Ramsgate


Watching the ‘Cash in the Attic’ programme on TV, my attention was drawn to the item where an elderly lady was selling up her semi-detached bungalow with the intention to live in France. Does she know what she is doing? She is obviously not very wealthy. She just wants to live in a quiet place, without hassle. She is not a person who would know anything about stock markets or finance. The opportunity exists for her to live somewhere less crowded, within a culture which may well have been a childhood dream – the cottage in the country in a village. The coming of the European Union has made it possible.

If she moves, will the British Government forget her? Of course it will. She no longer exists. She may still get the Winter Fuel Allowance, but the British Government only grants it because the Euro Commission told it that it should. She is therefore fortunate. But she is still subject to the variations in the value of the £, and any other financial restriction that the British Government could place on her.

She is better off than a friend I know – Rosemary. She retired to France 20 years ago and is now in her late eighties. She came because her daughter lives in France. Her daughter is middle aged, without any income. Now they live together on the reduced pensions Rosemary has from a shortened teaching career (as do many women who have been mothers) and the reduced old age pension. She does not get the Winter Fuel Allowance because she left England more than fifteen years ago.

Why oh why does the British Government treat Europe as some distant alien land? The ladies above are doing what their predecessors would have done in the 1930’s, Then they would have moved to Cornwall, the Dorset Coast or indeed Ramsgate from where the first lady is migrating.

The British Government should treat its pensioners identically wherever they live in Europe. This age group of more than 75 years old was born in the depression, suffered the bombing of War, served in the services or National Service, suffered the austerity of post war England, were teenagers before teenager culture existed, and now just because they choose to take the opportunity to spend their last years in the culture of Europe, their Government in Britain treats them as second class citizens.

Then because they either cannot exercise a vote or if they can the voting system offered is a useless sop to democracy, they are ignored, and dare one say despised.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Index to major 'postings on this blog.

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[If you experience difficulties, please email the organiser by clicking here]
The Four Concerns of this blog.  
This link has sub-links to many other subjects -benefits problems - Double taxation -voting etc 


Health Care Costs for Pensioners in France - Statement May  2010
HEALTH COSTING - The OAP in the EU -- monthly comment April 2010  (see follow-up above)
Dutch Expatriate Pensioner health care costs  
BENEFIT PAYMENTS
WINTER FUEL PAYMENTS  

The Winter Fuel Payment February '16
* The Manipulation of Statistics by the Dept. of Work & Pensions
* WINTER FUEL PAYMENT - DEPT WORK & PENSIONS MANIPULATION OF STATISTICS January 2014
* Anger amongst the Britons Abroad.
* The Winter Fuel Payment and the VOTE 
* The Winter Fuel Payment part two June 2013
* The Winter Fuel payment -Osborne's Statement June 2013
* Winter fuel Payments for all UK State pensioners  in Europe [August 2012]
*The Saga of the Winter Fuel Payments - copy of above
* WFP latest news UP-DATED AUGUST 8th  2012 important change
* I ACCUSE _The British Governments Feb. 2012
* WINTER FUEL PAYMENT -Apply now (September 2011)
Rebuff from the EU - end of Road? (May 19th 2011) -SEE Also item *A* under Benefit Payments above
* Winter Fuel Payment February 2011
WINTER FUEL PAYMENT (2) (includes a petition letter to the EU  (May 1st 2010)
Cold weather in November
Right to receive the Winter Fuel Payment 

*   Double Taxation - AN EU consultation.   (May 5th 2010)
*.   The OECD - does it know what it is doing?
*.   The absurdity of Government Pensions.
Inheritance 
Migration there/back of OLD AGE PENSIONERS

EXPATRIATE REPRESENTATION 
'the vote' AT WESTMINSTER
* House of Lords debate on the expatriate and democracy. January 2013
* Europe and the British Citizen (January 2013)
* Fighters for Democracy - Harry Shindler and James Preston
* Representation for British pensioners - letter to Select Committee August 2012
* CALL TO ACTION  contact a member of the House of Lords  August 2012
* Tergiversation and the Expatriate Vote in the House of Commons June 2012
* UK versus French Parliament 2012 - Voting- A call to action! (May 11th 2012)
* The Extraordinary thoughts of Mr. Clegg  (April 30th 2012)
* Renounce you British Citizenship?  (Feb 2012) 
* I ACCUSE - the case against the British Governments - indifference.(Feb.2012)
* The Criteria for Representation (January 2012)
* The Case of James Preston and VOTING.
* On Remembrance Day 2011 
* A Citizen Abroad is a Citizen ignored!
* Representation and Frozen pensions Oct 2011 
................ 
MISCELLANEOUS  - INFLATION -Cost of living


Monthly Comment March 2010 The unfair and illegal British Government [non payment of sickness benefits to the elderly]
*  Monthly Comment February 2010 How the British Government treats its citizens abroad.
*   Pensioners leave Britain (August 2011)
*.  The Migration of the Old Age Pensioners. Graphs of  OAPs in European countries here.
*.  The numbers of OAPs in Europe (also has the addresses of politicians.)
*.   What is Europe - an essay.
*.   A shameful Parliament.
*.   French MPs represent UK French expats in the UK.

*.   An appalling Government.

*.   Case Histories.
Archive of old political letters.
*   LETTERS to the Political Parties and their replies!