Community Comments

There is still a great deal of bitterness amongst UK pensioners now resident in Spain about the lack of support from the British Government over the escalating cost of living.

We have received just two letters disagreeing with his observations in his article “A Diverse Dilemma” but feel it both appropriate and fair that we publish these missives (although one is slightly edited) so that readers can form their own opinion.

Whilst it has recently been announced that those aged between 66 and 79 who live in the UK are likely to receive a £500 winter fuel supplement, pensioners of similar age who will have made contributions to National Insurance during their working lives are barred from receiving anything except for the £10 Christmas bonus.

I do feel that it is very unfair that those of us living in Spain don’t receive a penny towards the cost of heating. What the Government conveniently overlooks is that Spanish properties are generally single glazed, have marble floors, have no insulation and are heated by electric or wood fires.

It can get very cold at night and unless you can afford solar panels, electricity is very expensive so in some cases we have to decide if we can afford to be cold and eat or warm and hungry.

Patrick in Ronda

When you live in the Spanish countryside, especially if you are well above see level, the temperature is much lower than in other parts of Southern Europe yet I receive no financial assistance from the British Government even though I worked and paid income tax and national insurance in the UK for some 45 years.

Emily in Valencia

Taken from web comments

Disgraceful that brits in Spain get nothing. Air conditioning is essential in many places and this is using electricity the same as heating. I am 89 years of age and expected to live on E400 , my total English pension.

James

Italy is still considered a cold country but Spain and France were said to be warm because Ian Duncan Smith used their overseas territories temperatures added to the mainland temperatures to increase their average temperatures. Italy doesn’t have any overseas territories so he couldn’t do that for there.

John