The Winter Fuel Payment

To go to the Index and beginning of this blog click here.

Quite a number of OAP expatriates in Europe do not receive this payment because the British Government have claimed that they should not receive it unless they received it before leaving Britain.  The legal position has been investigated by the Spanish Expatriates Association and the legal advisor (David Burrage) is satisfied that the position of the British Government is illegal in European Law.  

The blog author (Brian Cave) has read the detail and made reference to the relevant EU regulations as published on the internet and is equally satisfied as to this stance.

 The history and legal discussion is laid forth here:- follow link .

The EU regulations  referred to are available via this link - very long reading but the really keen can trace the references here!

An outline letter to the relevant section of the Department of Works and Pensions has been complied for you to follow in order for you to apply for the WFP. follow this link.  And claim arrears!

If, as one supposes, the DWP will do all it can to oppose such applications, a personal petition will be placed before the EU.  So please retain any correspondence to aid in this and keep in touch.

It could well be that the general election will change the landscape and  it could just be that a new government will bring justice to all. 

A letter to all three political parties has been posted.  It does not draw specific attention to the WFP, but has a more general tenor. View the INDEX (on left) to find it.  [November 2010- No news,  All three parties are oblivious to pensioners on the Continent.]

p.s. the address for the appeal letter is
http://lefourquet.net/RdrsubWFP042010.doc   (no final dot!)

2010 March letter to Political Parties - click!
March  27th postcard acknowledgement received from The Conservatives. 'contents noted'.  Umph!
March 29th Nick Clegg (LibDems) report in The Telegraph says he does NOT support the vote for expats. Can this really be true?
No reply from the Labour or LibDem parties.
***************

Previously in February 2009 (a year ago!)  an open letter was posted to all three Political Parties
The replies 
March 6th 2009- first reply Labour Party (click) - Oh dear!.
March 28th 2009 from   LibDems. (click) - This reply does not answer any of the points presented. It confuses the issue of frozen pensions which applies to pensioners in Australia etc. It displays a lack of knowledge and real interest in the expatriate European British citizens. Sad!
April 1st 2009 (acknowledgement) from the Conservative party. Oh dear!
However, the Conservative view on Voting problems - See article under Concern Two.

At heart, do any give a damn?

Please write yourselves - the addresses are on the recent letter.  
You can copy the open letter given here if  you wish and/or refer to the blog-site.

To return or go to the start of the blog click here

Monthly Comment March 2010 One Accuses - Lack of Fairness?

LINKS- 
These are legal arguments and papers exposing the Dishonourable Position of the United Kingdom and its infringement of EU Community Law with respect to non-payment of benefits to disadvantaged British expatriates in Europe.. Prepared by David Burrage - legal advisor to the Spanish Expatriate Association.

1. An abridged version of the major document . (3 pages html file)- largely prepared by Brian Cave.
2. A full version of the document (40 pages pdf file).
3. Letter from the EU Commission to The Spanish Expatriate Association.  This letter refers to two instances of case law before the European Court of Justice. The judgements on these two cases are linked below.
4. Case Law 'Duchon'.  
5. Case Law 'Larsy'. 
6. The EU Regulations covering the point at law of the exportability of benefits.

One accuses the United Kingdom Government of ............

Lack of Fairness.

Dishonour towards its Elderly People

Lack of Statesmanship and Leadership.
The elderly citizens of Britain move to France, or Spain, or wherever in Europe for good reasons.. to join their families, for their health, to explore new environments, or to enjoy a way of life not to be found in Britain.  The EU offers opportunities in living not known to earlier generations.  Their income comes entirely from Britain.  They have all their working lives paid into a social system of support (as Clement Attlee would have said from 'cradle to grave').  They have given service to the Nation in peace and war.  Many have added to the wealth of the Nation.  Now, in their years of retirement, instead of retiring to Bexhill or Morecambe, they choose to take advantage of the possibility, achieved and signed under treaty obligations by the British Government to live in the wider Europe - to be free to move and live as free citizens within this great spreading of the peoples of the Continent.
The British Government treats this diaspora of British Citizens as second class compared to those who remain in the British Isles.  We who have been proud to be British and still wish to to be proud to be British are treated unfairly by the Government of our own Nation.
A proportion of  we elderly citizens became disabled before moving into the wider Europe.  Some, few they may be, left to join their families who have already moved, but suffer from illnesses requiring care. They received financial support to help in that care.  Some  have since been deprived of this support by the British Government, who illegally have ceased payment.  The British Government are dishonourable in their position towards these people. The legal exposition of the dishonourable nature of the British Government is fully developed in the links indicated above.
The British Government signed to treaties to enable people to move freely without suffering financial hardship.  It does not honour its word.
The British Nation, once a leader amongst Nations, has in the context of Europe, shown itself to be small minded, narrow in thought and deed.  It does not display the Statesmanlike leadership which we, who are in our seventieth or eightieth decades would expect.  It is weak and shallow and leaderless.