Extra money for pensioners

[nomoss]

I just heard Yvette Cooper, in a BBC interview, say "We have just given £60 to every pensioner".

I immediately checked our UK bank account - zilch.

Yet another lie from that lot.

 

 

[nectarine]

It was announced a couple of weeks ago, we haven't had it either but understand it should be paid by the second week of January, ... has anyone got theirs yet?

[parsnips]

[quote user="nectarine"]It was announced a couple of weeks ago, we haven't had it either but understand it should be paid by the second week of January, ... has anyone got theirs yet?[/quote]

 Hi,

    Yes I got mine a couple of weeks ago--I have my state pension paid direct to my french bank, so that may have made a difference.

[nectarine]

Parsnips, are you sure it was the £60 and not the £10 Christmas bonus, as all the govt. websites say that the £60 will be paid in January ... it was only announced a few weeks ago.  I've been nline to my UK bank account into which the pension is paid and it is isn't there, so I would have thought that UK bank accounts would get this £60 earlier than overseas ones.

[Chantemerlière]

OH received her £60.00 on Christmas Eve paid in under the heading of "State pension & widows benefit".

This was a nice surprise because we were not aware that it had been promised.[:D]

[nectarine]

Lifted from the government's website:

"This year's Christmas Bonus will be paid in two instalments - recipients will get £10 in December as in previous years, with the additional £60 to be paid between January and March in the new year."

so I guess we will be getting staggered payments, although why they can't pay the £60 at the same time to everyone - as they have done with the £250 - confuses me?  Perhaps a slight cash-flow problem in HM coffers?

[tuppence]

Yep , received the £10 first week of December and the £60 on Xmas Eve. Not sure what to do with all this new found wealth. But it won't change my life at all[:)]

tuppence

[parsnips]

[quote user="nectarine"]Parsnips, are you sure it was the £60 and not the £10 Christmas bonus, as all the govt. websites say that the £60 will be paid in January ... it was only announced a few weeks ago.  I've been nline to my UK bank account into which the pension is paid and it is isn't there, so I would have thought that UK bank accounts would get this £60 earlier than overseas ones.[/quote]

Yes absolutely sure, had the £10 several weeks earlier.

[nomoss]

[quote user="nectarine"]

Lifted from the government's website:

"This year's Christmas Bonus will be paid in two instalments - recipients will get £10 in December as in previous years, with the additional £60 to be paid between January and March in the new year."

so I guess we will be getting staggered payments, although why they can't pay the £60 at the same time to everyone - as they have done with the £250 - confuses me?  Perhaps a slight cash-flow problem in HM coffers?

[/quote]

 

What £250?????

[KathyC]

[quote user="nomoss"][quote user="nectarine"]

Lifted from the government's website:

"This year's Christmas Bonus will be paid in two instalments - recipients will get £10 in December as in previous years, with the additional £60 to be paid between January and March in the new year."

so I guess we will be getting staggered payments, although why they can't pay the £60 at the same time to everyone - as they have done with the £250 - confuses me?  Perhaps a slight cash-flow problem in HM coffers?

[/quote]

 

What £250?????

[/quote]

 

Heating Allowance

[Russethouse]

Will UK pensioners get an 'exceptional cold' payment now too ?

[nomoss]

[quote user="KathyC"][quote user="nomoss"][quote user="nectarine"]

Lifted from the government's website:

"This year's Christmas Bonus will be paid in two instalments - recipients will get £10 in December as in previous years, with the additional £60 to be paid between January and March in the new year."

so I guess we will be getting staggered payments, although why they can't pay the £60 at the same time to everyone - as they have done with the £250 - confuses me?  Perhaps a slight cash-flow problem in HM coffers?

[/quote]

 

What £250?????

[/quote]

 

Heating Allowance

[/quote]

 

Didn't get that either...........................

Something seems to be wrong with this system.

I thought I was supposed to like it when I was being ****ed

 

 

[Patf]

[quote user="Russethouse"]

Will UK pensioners get an 'exceptional cold' payment now too ?

[/quote]

You should see it here, RH. Blizzard conditions, and we're way down in the "south of France".

But to be fair, we don't have to cope with icy roads on the way to work. (No work.)

[KathyC]

[quote user="nomoss"][quote user="KathyC"][quote user="nomoss"][quote user="nectarine"]

Lifted from the government's website:

"This year's Christmas Bonus will be paid in two instalments - recipients will get £10 in December as in previous years, with the additional £60 to be paid between January and March in the new year."

so I guess we will be getting staggered payments, although why they can't pay the £60 at the same time to everyone - as they have done with the £250 - confuses me?  Perhaps a slight cash-flow problem in HM coffers?

[/quote]

 

What £250?????

[/quote]

 

Heating Allowance

[/quote]

 

Didn't get that either...........................

Something seems to be wrong with this system.

I thought I was supposed to like it when I was being ****ed

 

 

[/quote]

You only get the heating allowance if you were getting it before leaving the UK ie. moved to France at 60 or over.

[powerdesal]

Well I guess thats another 10+250+60 which my pension age missus wont get as she officially does not exist - still.  [:(]

[Russethouse]

She cannot be the only person this has ever happened to  - there must be some facilty for dealing with it, surely ?

[powerdesal]

There are two options:-

Apply for 'Pension Credit - which is means tested. ( This does not qualify for issue of E121)

or

Wait till spouse is pension age and get pension based on contributions of spouse (percentage not known - yet)

[nomoss]

[quote user="powerdesal"]Well I guess thats another 10+250+60 which my pension age missus wont get as she officially does not exist - still.  [:(]
[/quote]

After several years working in Spain I got a demand saying I'd never paid Soc Sec.

Eventually, months later, it transpired that on the original form I had put "M" as my sex.

This form apparently wanted "M" - mujer (woman), or "V" - varon (male), rather than the expected Masculino/Femenino.

Is it possible they have her as Mrs powerdesal?

 

We feel very cheated over these pension "increases" which are being treated as special allowances for UK residents only, especially as they are exportable once they have been paid out.

In spite of EU rulings, the bureaucracy seems to sift through the small print to find a way out of any payments.

We are seriously thinking of moving back to UK, stating we are doing so permanently, renting for a few months until we get the allowances, then changing our minds about staying there.

 

 

[mint]

From what I have read, you can't just "say" that you are staying permanently.  You will be expected to provide proof.  Acceptable "proof" has been named as contract of sale of your French house, invoice for moving of furniture and effects, etc.

Perhaps you can think of something else which would "prove" your good intention?

[Chantemerlière]

[quote user="nomoss"] 

We feel very cheated over these pension "increases" which are being treated as special allowances for UK residents only, especially as they are exportable once they have been paid out.

In spite of EU rulings, the bureaucracy seems to sift through the small print to find a way out of any payments.

We are seriously thinking of moving back to UK, stating we are doing so permanently, renting for a few months until we get the allowances, then changing our minds about staying there.

 

 

[/quote]

I don't think that these "allowances" are "treated as special allowances for UK residents only"; they are for all pensioners, wherever they live in the EU. We live permanently in France and my OH got the £60.00 paid

directly into our bank, no problems. We do not however get the heating

allowance and that is purely because we were living outside the UK when we both reached

60. I don't agree with this but that is the how the system works and we

knew that before we came here. We have friends who live here permanently and they do get the £250.00 heating allowance simply because they moved here after their 60th birthday and therefore qualify.