There are 1,224,610 recipients of the British State Pension who live
abroad. Not all are British Citizens,
but the vast majority are so.
The number living in continental Europe
plus Ireland is
478,950 (Feb, 2014) – nearly 40% of the total number of pensioners abroad and nearly 4% of the total of ALL
British State
pensioners. Nearly one
in ten of all British pensioners live abroad (9.4%).
The emigration of the Pensioners to the other States of the
EU has been dramatic. Here is a graph
since 1973.
They go – not necessarily for the
weather – The winters are very often far colder than in Britain. They go because housing is cheaper and they
can have more space to continue and develop interests. They are not any richer than those that stay
behind, but they may have more 'get up and go! -gumption!'. Some survive on little more than
their pensions. Some run into problems
no different from elderly people in the UK. Take this example (I have permission to
reproduce it).
I will call the Lady -Isabel
Like most of our friends, when we arrived in France aged 60, we were in good health.
However, as we all know, as the years go on, many of us are beset by
various illnesses and the frailty of old age. I have had several
operations and many investigations in hospital for various internal and
ophthalmic problems. My husband had a hip replacement three years ago and
two other operations since then. He was diagnosed with lung cancer a year
ago, for which he is being treated with chemotherapy. He has suffered
horrific and debilitating side effects and I am, of course, at the age of 77,
his only carer. We have no family, either here or in the U.K. There have been improvements as well
as setbacks in the progress of his illness and further chemotherapy is planned.
As you can imagine, this past year has been extremely hard on both of
us and it is only with the support of the excellent French health professionals
as well as the kindness of our friends and neighbours (both French and British)
that we have managed to cope. We live on a joint pension income of
12,000 pounds sterling per annum and have to draw on our very modest savings to
supplement this. Because of our low income, we downsized seven years ago
to a tiny, one-bedroomed house which my husband converted from a carpenter's workshop
but his illness and treatment cause him to feel the cold in the extreme and, in
spite of the size of our house, I dread to think what our heating bill will be
this Winter. It is so dreadfully unfair that we and others in our
situation should not be allowed to
receive the Winter Fuel Payment from the British government when our
compatriots do! And, of course, there is nothing we can do about it as,
having lived in France for more than fifteen years, we are now disenfranchised as well!
Isabel recounts a fairly extreme
case which, to a lesser degree, affects so many more
pensioners throughout Europe.
There are people in Britain
who would say ‘You left Britain
too bad.” But the EU is supposed to
allow free movement of people. The UK
is responsible, under EU Law, for the welfare of its elderly
citizens. All those 480 thousand
citizens are now threatened with being cut off from their support from Britain
if Britain
withdraws from the Union.
The Pensioner in Europe
is already viewed as a second class citizen by the British Civil Service and far
too many politicians. But consider the further possibilities if Britain
left Europe.
1. Medical support. This would cease. The UK
currently supports the medical care of British pensioners in Europe to the same level of the cost of care as the
citizens where they are resident. In France
for most ordinary care this is to about 60%.
The pensioner has to find the rest.
In the case of Isabel, the cancer care is supported 100%. A broken leg would not be so – nor a gastric
ulcer - nor high blood pressure.
2. The State Pension. The power in law exists to freeze the annual
increase for all State pensions paid abroad, except where special arrangements
have been agreed. These arrangements
with the EU would cease if Britain
left. Would new arrangements be made? That is at the least uncertain.
3. The purchase of goods from Britain
could be constrained. Import duty could be imposed.
4. European citizenship would cease and the way
would be open for the imposition of
constraints on all the four free movements of the EU - of people, money, and any services as well as goods.
BUT even at this time, as the UK is part of the EU, the British Government through
the Civil Service treat us as lesser citizens, as follows.
5. The Civil Service is at this moment pleading
for the removal of the UK
tax free allowance on income sourced from the UK. - that means that pensioners who reply on
income from UK property rents or UK bank interest or the small group of those who
have pensions non-exportable for tax would lose 20p. in every single £1 of income.
The situation would be intolerable for some and they would have to return to Britain
and create an increased expenditure on the State.
6. The DWP
led by Iain Duncan Smith pleads for the Winter Fuel Payment to be
removed from the citizens who live in certain so-called hot countries (e.g. France) –
Isabel’s case shows the unfairness of that!
7. Investments – Most British pensioners in Europe
have some savings in British banks and/or other British institutions. In spite
of the EU promise of freedom of movement and services, banks including Santander,
Barclays and Lloyds have placed restrictions on the investments or accounts of
British Citizens in continental Europe. This, in spite
of the EU Commission pleading for the necessity of nationals to retain such
accounts.
8. The
situation with regard to pensions of the military, police, teachers and most
other public service workers is unfortunate.
They all, by law pay income tax to Britain.
In most cases if they paid this tax to the State in which they are resident
they would be better off. None can
receive the tax benefits which accrue indirectly through age (such as the employment of a home-help in France which attracts a 50% tax credit to those who pay income tax to France).
9. Surely it should be obvious that many British emigrants. pensioners or otherwise, have family ties to Britain. They will be concerned for the welfare of grandchildren or parents.
10. One must remember that the British Government acts 'in the name of'' all British Citizens. So it is that in the activities of war and foreign aid all British Citizens have some interest.
11. Lastly, trivial perhaps, but indicative of the attitude of the British Civil Service, the cost of passports of British Citizens resident abroad have
been disproportionately hiked .
But there is more…
The pensioners in Europe
only wish to have a peaceful life and enhance their way of life as their
circumstances allow. This is what being
in the EU means. For Britain
to turn its back on them is disgraceful.
Would it not bring scorn and
anger on the government if any pensioner resident in Britain who has given a
life time of work in service to the community; whose income entirely comes from
pensions and savings grounded in the British economy; who buys goods within the
British economy; were not allowed to be represented in the British parliament? That is the situation that exists now for the expatriate pensioner in Europe. It is exceedingly difficult for the British
Citizen abroad to express their views to the politicians in Britain. Few politicians have any interest in the
Citizen Abroad, though most Citizens abroad have a profound interest in the
activities of the British Government – both at home and of course, abroad.
Democracy is the Representation
of the people, by the people and for the people. – Oops – Unless you are a
Pensioner who has the gumption to take the opportunity given by the EU to widen
your horizons and even at the age of sixty plus to move across the channel, or
even further.
One is allowed to vote in the
constituency where one last resided for up to 15 years, That is not enough –
The eleven points enumerated above demonstrate that a much closer democratic
relationship is called for with politicians who understand the circumstances of
the British Citizen abroad,
It is not helpful to be kicked in
the butt by the Government of your own country, nor by the unnecessarily
blinkered and prejudiced compatriots at ‘home’ unfortunately led on by a blinkered press and blinkered political parties.
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Brian Cave - Pensioners Debout!
