Winter fuel payment petition breaks through 12,000 signatures

THE online petition to stop the UK government's plan to end winter fuel payment for expats in countries seen as too warm, including France, has reached more than 12,000 signatures.

Having gone beyond 10,000 signatures the government will have to reply to the petition, however for the issue to be raised in parliament the petition will have to see 100,000 back it before its close in June 2014.

But the fight is continuing to highlight how wrong the UK government's decision to end the payment is, especially after it was found that the weather statistics it used drew in average temperatures from the French DOM-TOM territories.

These are made up of the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, the Indian Ocean islands of Reunion and Mayotte and French Guiana in South America, and are home to just 30 people receiving UK pensions.

If the proposals pass through parliament it will mean eligibility for winter fuel payments would end for those living in France from the winter of 2015/16.

Comments

[Barbara Ramsden]

My husband and I would like to add our names to the petition to continue the winter fuel allowance I am 77 and Husband is 82..soon to be 83 and we need the extra warmth in winter Barbara and Peter Ramsden