Expatriates Frozen.

 Frozen in Canada.   A Story of Our British Country Folk.     How you can help.

Many years ago I stood near the bridge which separates the USA from Canada and I admired the magnificence of the Niagara  Falls.  No doubt today there are British pensioners  living on both sides of that Bridge, but they would be foolish indeed to live in Canada, because their State Retirement pension would be frozen at the level at which they emigrated.  But, perhaps one such elderly couple is there because their daughter had moved there years before. She and her family have a large Canadian house and she feels more able than her brother still living in Woking, England, to care for her parents.
Their son and his family in England, have a small modern house scarcely 18 feet wide on a Wimpey estate and with their own children to care for, there is not the space for his parents.   The parents are concerned for his welfare and the education of  their grandchildren and all the social welfare system of the UK.

So!   What has this story to do with you?  Two elements - firstly  the  situation of  the representation to Parliament of the elderly couple who will have powerful links for the rest of their lives with the social systems of Britain, and secondly the gross unfairness of their frozen pensions just because they need to live in Canada, rather than the USA, or stayed in Britain.

In both matters they are  unfairly treated by the Government of their homeland.  After 15 years they have no representation in England,  although they remain deeply concerned about the welfare of their son and his family, and they remain dependent for their State pensions on Britain, and the husband's police pension and its taxation, for he served in the police force in Guildford.
So in 2011 these grandparents are concerned - you bet! of course they are!
So they add their names to two petitions.  One on their frozen vote and the other on their frozen pension.  If they had the vote they may influence the pension!

http://votes-for-expat-brits.com.
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/16387

They are British Citizens.  In spite of all the knocks which their own British Government direct at them, they remain proud to be British.  They come from families of humble origins*, but with guts and courage have survived the vicissitudes of the past 80 years and their children have tried in spirit to follow in their footsteps. 

*their parents supported Labour!

Australia.   I read of a retired engineer there aged 81, whose Old Age Pension is only £18 a week, because it is frozen.  Those expatriates who live in Australia have signed in their hundreds both of the petitions. This week the number of British Pensioners outside the EU (particularly in Australia) who have signed the petition on the frozen vote exceeds those pensioners in Europe who have signed the same petition. 

So what does all this mean to you?     In the cause of British solidarity, just as the Australians (one hopes that the Canadians will follow suit) have voted to thaw both the frozen vote and the frozen pensions, so all Britons everywhere should support both causes. 
Please sign up on both petitions.   And copy this on to other British pensioners, expatriates and indeed those remaining in our homeland.

Other Information.  You may wish to write to a British MP - You can find a list and thus their email addresses via the following link
http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/
It is believed that the LibDems are against extending the 15 year vote, but are for unfreezing pensions. They are a major influence in the Coalition Government.
The Conservatives seem to be for unfreezing the vote but possibly against unfreezing the pensions.  There is no indication of Labour leanings, but they can surely be influenced?  Leaders are - LibDems - Nick Clegg;  Labour - Ed Miliband; Conservatives - David Cameron.

Brian Cave - organiser

The Island syndrome of Iain Duncan Smith.

To go to the index and beginning click here

There is a sad debate in Britain.

Frankly - you can skip the following  links  and begin at the >>>*  unless you have a mind to explore the matter deeply.

It all begins with…..

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/benefits-row-could-cost-uk-2bn-051142015.html

but it continues with a much more thorough examination in

http://www.economist.com/blogs/bagehot/2011/09/britain-and-eu-2

In Brief:-

It is all to do with whether EU nationals can immigrate into the UK and immediately claim social benefits at the expense of the UK.  Well they can’t.   EU nationals have to  be an ‘habitual resident’ to claim any benefits –  What is an ‘habitual resident’ is the deciding point!  Essentially it is one who has contributed to the British Society.

Iain Duncan Smith (IDS) said: "The EU settlement is supposed to protect the right of member states to make their own social security arrangements. But we are now seeing a rising tide of judgements from the European institutions using other legal avenues to erode away these rights, and we should be gravely concerned."

>>>* … IDS added: "As if this week's decision was not bad enough, we are also fighting increasing demands for the UK to pay benefits to those who have long since moved abroad, and who may never have made more than a token contribution to UK society."

There is a sad suppurating syndrome exposed in these misleading words, rampant in Britain.  It generates antipathy to those who have emigrated.   I would wish IDS to meet some of our British expatriate friends. All retired to France to explore new horizons.  They are all dependent on the UK Social Security system for their State Pensions.  France asks the UK to pay for their health care.  They are neither scroungers on France nor the UK.  But being long term contributors to the British Social Security system they deserve the support and recognition of THEIR  Government, which is the British Government.  If they deserve certain benefits as they grow older then they also should receive them now they live in Europe.

There is the chap who was grievously wounded at the age of ten, but with extraordinary courage developed a career in the construction trade.

There is the  ex-officer  of the army who served the UK throughout the world.

There is the fireman who had a career in service in the UK.

There is the schoolteacher who came to live near her daughter after retirement. She has an extremely small income. Now she is in her 80’s and because she emigrated before 1998 she does not receive the £300 Winter Fuel Payment (WFP)

There is the woman with a career as a district nurse in Norfolk.

There is the career policeman. He, because he came to France before obtaining the WFP in England also looses out on the WFP.

IDS! I ask of you .. Do these people, stalwarts of England, who promulgate the British culture in Europe not deserve the support of the British Government?

The antipathy in Britain towards those who have emigrated to Europe is a festering fungus which eats at the sensibilities of the resident British public.  Politicians who in any way nurture this fungus should be ashamed. Forgive them- Do they know what they are doing?

[Fellow citizens - Claim your right to Representation in Britain by clicking here.]

Unfair Financial Burden for retired Britons in France

To go to the INDEX and start - click here

Other 'posts' on this blog deal with the substance of this.
Consider an elderly couple who retired to France before 1998. We will call them Mr and Mrs. Briton.  He is now over 80  and was a teacher.

1. His teacher's pension is (in euros) 24,000 euros, which is entirely taxed in Britain. This tax is 2627 euros (equivalent of £2285.5).  This sum would be zero if this income (as a sole income) were taxed in France. see note a/.

2. Because they retired to France before the institution of the Winter Fuel Payment they do not receive it.  This amounts to £300 at present for the over 80s = 344 euros

3. They need to find 1500 euros minimum for top-up health insurance. EU law decreees that the UK is the Competent State to carry the costs of their health care. But it does not happen.

How much do they lose out taking on board EU law?

The total they appear miss out on and/or have to find is 2627+344+1500 = 4471 euros. But note later- we need to take in their other pension - The State Retirement Pension, which is their only other income. Although taxable in France it is too little to attract more tax.

If EU law on health costs as it appears to be written was observed  they would have no health costs. see note b/.

IF all their income were taxed in France then one has to include their joint State retirement pension (11640 euros) in the calculations of taxable income in France. The French Tax bill would be  1812 euros.  This is 815 euros less than their existing UK tax bill.  The amount they lose out on then has to be recalculated as   815+344+1500 = 2659 euros

So, if all were really fair for this elderly British couple they would have an extra 2659 euros a year to enjoy life.

When they retired the exchange rate between £ and France was very favourable and these financial matters were not particularly important. Since then the £ has collapsed and they are watching the centimes.

Notes .. a. link to posting  .  'Taxation- in-France-& -UK'  ........................
          b. see EU Regulation 883/2004 Article 24. Link 'Health Costs Legal Position'

WINTER FUEL PAYMENT - ACTION!

To go the  INDEX click here

Mr David Burrage the legal advisor and co-founder of the Spanish Expatriates Association www.ukgovabusesexpats.co.uk informs me that it is his opinion that all elderly Britons  in Europe should receive this benefit (with provisos as described below).

I extract the following from his information.  Some important elements are highlighted . 

EXTRACT

********

EU Commision's press release on this 25-07-2011-click-. 

What does all this mean?

 Put simply we take the view that where the UK is and has remained the Competent State for the award of social security benefits. That is;

(a) Where you have not activated social security rights through some economic activity in another relevant State  and where;

(b) You have a social security linking with the UK through;

(i) Past residence,

(ii) Past social security contributions,

(iii) Previous NI credits or,

(iv) Where you are in receipt of some other social security benefit, including your State ‘old age‘ pension and

(c) You have attained the age of 60 years in the qualifying year 2011/2012 providing you were born before 5 January 1951.

Then you are entitled to make a first claim, even though you may be resident outside the UK and elsewhere within the EEA or Switzerland.

You can download the claim form from the Internet on this link http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/@over50/documents/digitalasset/dg_198683.pdf.

Send the completed form to DWP, PO Box 10142, Annesley, Nottingham NG15 5WY. You should also send your original birth certificate.

Always keep copies and send any correspondence by certificated mail.

We suspect that the DWP will currently be in denial of the most recent case law of the ECJ and will refuse your claim on the erroneous basis that you were not ordinarily resident in GB at the date of your claim. Nevertheless, if you are to complain the matter, then you can do so following any refusal of your claim.

We have briefly addressed this matter to the Commission in the light of their recent press release  and await their response. 

*****************   End of Extract

Old Age Pensioners leave Britain!

To go to the Index and beginning click here

The Emigration of Old Age Pensioners.

August 2011

The latest figures on the geographical distribution of British State pensioners have been published – for February 2011.

It is extraordinary that the total number of State pensioners between November 2010 and February  2011 fell by 15640. This number will be the difference between the number who died in excess of the new generation of  pensioners during that time.   But this figure is at first sight perplexing when we learn that the total number of pensioners resident in Britain fell by 17890!  There is  2250 missing!

The explanation is that the 2250 emigrated.

If we go back to a comparison of the full year between February 2010 and February 2011, then we find that the number of pensioners living abroad increased by 18,240.  The total global increase was 86,040.  It would seem that about 1 in 5 pensioners are emigrating!  The actual  figure of those who emigrated during this year is actually higher than 18240 because one must add on the number of pensioners who replace those who have died abroad. 

 Statistics

Between February 2010 and February 2011 the number of British State Retirement  Pensioners (OAPs) increased by 86,040 from 12,487,070  to 12,573,110.

The number living in the UK increased by 67800 from 11,323,590 to 11,391,390.

That is to say 9.3% of all State pensioners live abroad. 

Click on the graph to enlarge it - To return click the < at top left of the screen.

In spite of the recession and a decrease in the rate of emigration - the pensioners are still leaving!

The Financial Telegraph published this article [click] on the emigration of the pensioners. 

It is interesting reading.

What is wrong with a country when so many pensioners want to leave it?  Is it the same reason why so few pensioners abroad are concerned about voting? 

Should not all UK Governments stand back and ask 'What have we done wrong?'