Referendums & the disenfranchised expat

With less than three weeks to go before Scotland makes its referendum decision on whether to split from the rest of the UK, there continues to be a lot of rhetoric, spin and, quite frankly, downright lies relating to how things will be in a post referendum "Yes" society.

Of course, the exact same pedalling of dodgy arguments and scaremongering (but hopefully not the thuggish threats) is to be expected if Cameron gets his wish for an in/out referendum on the divisive issue of membership of the EU in 2017.

But in amongst all this argy bargy, to-ing and fro-ing of debate and argument, the one group of British citizens that are going be most affected by "Yes" and "out" wins from these referendums is the expat currently living another EU country, thanks to the rights of freedom of movement.

So what if Scotland leaves the UK and/or the UK leaves the EU? What difference would it make?

Well I'm not going to argue the ins and outs of the Scottish/EU membership issue here. Anyone who wants to know how that particular piece of legislation works needs only to read the article:

Independent Scotland will have a long way to go for EU status, European Parliament policy adviser @Ben_Acheson blogs http://t.co/zifhH0cV4I

Instead it is worth considering the effects on those currently living in the EU and how easy it will be to deny the opportunities of those who might wish to broaden their horizons by coming to work and/or retire in another Member State. For example:

As non-EU citizens do not have the automatic right to live and work in EU countries, as "foreigners" Scottish/UK citizens would need to apply for fixed term residential permits.

Scottish/UK state pensioners would no longer have the automatic right to use  healthcare systems in EU countries using the S1 form.

They could also have their State Pension frozen, as is currently applicable to SPs living outside the EU.

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) would longer be valid for Scottish/UK citizens traveling within the EU.

UK "exportable" benefits, such as Disability Living Allowance (care element, not mobility proportion as that already prohibited under EU law) would not permissible.

UK educational and professional qualifications may not be accepted by countries within the EU, as EU mutual recognition rules would longer apply.

Naturally, I will presume that some readers will immediately jump on the stereotypical expat bandwagon and point out how we have "abandoned" our homeland to partake in supping sangria in the sun.

So this point I would like you to take a step back.

Reflect on how you would feel today if you were told by your government that they will continue to take your taxes and NI contributions... but you will have ABSOLUTELY NO SAY WHATSOEVER in a referendum that will affect the rest of your life. Or, indeed, after 15 years, no voting rights at all.

Or that you are in your twilight years, having worked and paid your contributions for over 40 years, retired on a basic State Pension to a small apartment/cottage in a quiet corner of another EU country, subsidising your medical costs (as unlike UK medical care is not FREE at the point of delivery) and living frugally during these times of austerity... and you then find all your rights have been taken away, with no available facility make your voice heard.

No vote, no voice, no representation... just pay your dues, thank you.

Welcome to the world of the British expat.

The solution?

Better think about getting that welcome mat out at the White Cliffs of Dover...

Referendums and all that (p2)

I must admit to having got a bit sweary on Twitter as I watched the Salmond vs Darling debate last night. Not because I have a vote in the Scottish Independence referendum and have yet to decide on my position, or am about to put a cross on the voting paper. Like many expats, we are disenfranchised from taking part in such referendums... even if they might have a direct effect on our lives.

Instead my blasphemous outbursts were all down to my assertion and belief that Mr Salmond is a blatant liar and, like many dictators that have come and gone, is fooling many people into believing those lies.

Psychology is a powerful weapon and there is no doubt in my mind that Mr Salmond and his SNP cronies have been well trained in the dark arts of psychological persuasion, revealed in his creation of a social need for independence and his persistent use loaded words and phrases that plays to those needs.

And like this those participants in social influence experiments, such as the Milgram Obediance Experiment and the Stanford Prison Experiment, many "Yes" voters have been swept away on the tide of SNP rhetoric and truly believe everything that is told them... even if those "truths" are merely told to ensure containing obedience and support for their leaders.

You only have to look at the #indyref threads on Twitter to see the vitriol emanating from both sides the debate - many with no sensible argument other than a "he said, she said" mentality and a vague literary command of what can seen as a "debate". At this lower end of the scale, such threads seem to be based on nothing more than who can insult their opposing number the most amount times before the inevitable "block" is put in place.

Conversely, when educated, intelligent tweeters use the platform, in an attempt to discuss the pros and cons of either side, they are all too often "shouted" down by ways of abuse, threats and harassment by those aforementioned types, are unable to argue their way out of a paper bag...

And presumably all eligible parties involved in these social media conversations will be heading to their polling booths on 18 September, as a true democracy allows, to cast a vote that could radically change not only their day-to-day lives, but those of future generations... with many making their choice on the basis of a lie.

And if that isn't enough to make a saint swear...

Referendums and all that...

As the likes of Sky News goes into overdrive now that Scotland enters its 100 day countdown to its referendum on independence it is worth pointing out that Salmond & Co's authoritarian attitude in their all consuming efforts to "win the day" is comparable to that of Cameron and Farage's attempts to promote a UK exit from the EU in the near future, without consideration to the adverse effects it will have on some citizens.

I'm not saying that the people shouldn't have a choice. On the contrary, true democracies should give ALL citizens their opportunity to voice - and vote on - anything that affects their lives.

And this is where all political parties concerning themselves with referendums and choices are getting it so wrong... and failing citizens whose lives will be intrinsically altered (and not necessarily for the better) if results of these votes successfully play into the hands of the instigators.

The citizens I am, of course, referring to are those people who no longer live in their countries of birth, but are still fully tied to them, especially by way of taxes and state pensions.

Neither the Scottish independence referendum, or proposed in/out EU referendum, allow their expats to vote and no politician at the top of the tree (and believe me, I've contacted them all) are prepared to discuss the ramifications of "yes" and "out" wins on the pensioner expat community.

Naturally when raising this issue in any forum it will provoke the usual anti-expat rhetoric, mostly from the green eyed monsters who think all expats live in chateaus, quaff champagne all day and have an bottomless pit of money.

But in reality most pensioner expats, particularly those living in the EU, are living on basic state pensions (with some receiving modest public servant pensions on which they will always continue to pay UK tax) and do not meet the stereotype as previously described in any way, shape or form. In fact, since the financial "bust" British pensioners in the EU have seen a 20% reduction in state pension income.

What these politicians are doing in their refusal to even acknowledge the British expat in regard to these referendums is hiding from the British public the issues that would come to light if these expat pensioners were to all come home... an even more overstretched NHS, increased requirement for social sheltered housing, more demand for local government care services, increase of the winter fuel payment budget (the Conservatives are planning removal from EU-based pensioners from 2015 to save alleged £30m per year), increase of benefits budget for those allowances not currently received outside of UK (in particular, pension credit).

So why not ask your local MP what their party's contingency plan is for returning expats before you put that cross on the voting ballot form... I'll be interested to hear their views.

DWP Winter Fuel Payment duplicity... a tangled web indeed...

Originally published in January 2014.

First post of 2014 and I am taking the liberty of "borrowing" an editorial comment by Connexion France (www.connexionfrance.com) in respect to the duplicity of the Department of Work and Pensions in its decision to remove Winter Fuel Payment from British pensioner expats living in France. The article to which the editorial comment refers is also attached as a scanned document. I do not think I need to add anything else!

A tangled web

If it weren't is so important to so many people, the saga of the UK government's search to justify withdrawing winter fuel allowance from British citizens residents in France would be hilarious. The ever more complex knots in which ministers and civil servants tie themselves in the hope of persuading someone - anyone? - that their figures make any kind of sense demonstrate Sir Walter Scott's dictum on tangled webs created when " we practice to deceive".

The government is not interested in justifications, except for trying to bat away the demands of tiresome people like The Connexion team. All they care about is imposing their mean-spirited little scheme and to hell with the victims. It illustrates a growing and alarming dictatorial tendency of ministers. Small wonder so many Tory MP's would like to cast off EU rules; better yet to return to the golden days of the divine right of Kings, and send objectors to the Tower.

Dissent can annoy governments but most democratic regimes accept it as a legitimate expression of differing views. High-handed government must watch out: acceptance of dissent can be cut as easily as Winter Fuel Allowance.

Christmas cheer for MPs, China and the Lord!

Before placing fingers to keyboard, I was considering putting together a nice little Christmas ditty, based on the 12 Days of Christmas, starting with something like:

"On the 1st day of Christmas, the Government said to me

No more winter fuel payment from 2015..."

But then I realised that 12 days were not enough to cover all the aspects of discrimination that the UK Government - past and present - have dished out to pensioner expatriates living legitimately and legally within the EU.

So instead I have decided to focus mine (and hopefully your) attention on three current issues, dominating the headlines over recent days, that make a complete and total mockery of the current government's arguments, relating to the savings they need to make by the removal of £200 per year from expatriate pensioners, who have paid into the UK system all their working lives and, indeed, many continue to pay taxes to the UK even in their retirement.

The first of these issues is, of course, the proposal of raising MP's pay by £7,600 PER YEAR from 2015. That equates to 38 YEARS of £200 winter fuel payment. And, dare I say it, a reasonable percentage of pensioners are unlikely to get to the grand old age of 92 in order to fully enjoy receipt of a total of £7,600 over their entire retirement. But IPSA deems it perfectly acceptable for MPs, already in receipt of nearly 12 TIMES the basic State Pension (£66,400 vs £5,727), will have that amount landing in their bank accounts annually! And if this story headline in The New Statesman is to be believed (and I have no reason not to), then maybe our MPs should bear that in mind when considering their electioneering strategy in the lead-up to May 2015: http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/12/just-10-mps-sign-parliamentary-motion-opposing-pay-rise

Secondly, why-oh-why is the UK sending over £27 MILLION in aid to China each year? If the government are prepared to sacrifice pensioners to cold winters in northern Europe, by withdrawing the £200 additional funding for paying our fuel bills, to save a proposed £30 million per year, then why not stop China's aid instead and allocate that money for pensioner expatriate's winter fuel payment? What is wrong with looking after your own? Since the financial crisis of 2008, many EU-based British pensioners have found their purse-strings ever tightened... just take a look at the sterling-euro forex rates for that period. Yet the UK government feels it perfectly acceptable to cast them to one side while funding a country that has just put a rover on the moon! You just couldn't make it up: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/10519964/UK-paid-more-than-27m-in-aid-to-China-last-year.html

And last but not least... a round of cynical applause please for the audacity of Lord Hanningfield as he clocks in at Westminster for a matter of minutes to claim his daily £300 attendance allowance*. £300 PER DAY! Seems that his Lordship claimed £5,700 in attendance allowance over a month, with an additional £471 in travel costs (http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/dec/17/lord-hanningfield-clocking-in-expenses). Given that the government will not even fund the travel costs for legitimate disabled claimants to attend required benefit tribunals in the UK, then even the payment to his Lordship of £471 travel costs is an insult to all concerned in that particular campaign.

So as we make the final approach to the season of goodwill, it might just be worth reflecting a little on the above and making a New Year's resolution for change by making your voice heard by the Parliamentarians.

Unlike Christmas, all it will cost you is a little time...

If eligible, register to vote:
https://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/register_to_vote/british_citizens_living_abroad/register_to_vote.aspx

Then sign the petitions:
Create an MP for expatriates:  http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/55085
Winter Fuel Payment:  http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/52121%20%3Cbr%3E

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

*Attendance allowance in this case refers to a member of the Lords claiming for "attending" Parliament and should not be confused with the Attendance Allowance paid to disabled pensioners, which only equates to £2,756 (low rate) or £4,115 (high rate) PER YEAR.

MPs nice and toasty... OAPs nipping and frosty!

The phrase "Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells" is a generic name used in the UK for a person, usually with strongly conservative political views, who writes letters to newspapers in a tone of moral outrage (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disgusted_of_Tunbridge_Wells).

In respect to this blog, I can quite legitimately take on that mantle - having been born in Tunbridge Wells - to express my political view (though not necessarily conservative!) in regard to the latest news headlines revealing that over 300 MPs have claimed heating costs for their second homes.


Naturally the British press are reporting this story in relation to the fact that, only last week, the Energy Select Committee hauled up the Big Six energy company bosses for a grilling regarding the increasing rises being foisted on their customers. And those customers - the British taxpayer - have every right to be angry at this latest revelation that shows how there is always one rule for MPs and one rule for the proletariat.

But there are another group of British taxpayers who are not just angry but incensed at yet another example of MPs feathering their own nests (or, indeed, having their noses in the taxpayer trough) to the detriment of those that they should be representing.

We are, of course, the British expat. A group of people who worked and paid into the British tax and National Insurance system all our lives (well over 40 years in most cases) and then took the decision to spend our retirement years in the relative peace and tranquility of a neighbouring EU country, using the legitimate and available to all those citizens living within the EU... the "Free Movement" principal (see below).

And it is under this EU principal that eligible British pensioner expats are able to receive an annual winter fuel payment, like their British-based counterparts, of £200 (or £300 if aged over 80). A mere drop in the ocean when compared with the nearly £6,000 claimed by Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi for heating his second home for one year... and it does not take a genius for anyone to calculate that £6,000 would pay a pensioner couple's annual WFP of £200 for the next 30 YEARS!

In fact, the total annual amount claimed by these MPs in one year, quoted as over £200,000, would pay 1000 pensioners their £200 WFP... or, if wanting to be facetious, one 80-year-old pensioner their annual £300 WFP for the next 666 years! Now I wonder how that number appeared in the equation - a sign, maybe?

However, as readers of this blog are aware, the coalition government (for that read the Devil incarnate himself, IDS) has decided to remove WFP from British expats living in supposed "hot" countries, from 2015. Those countries being: France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Malta, Cyprus and Gibraltar... but not, you may note, Italy, which has been decreed to have a colder annual average climate than the south-west of England, on which the Government's "temperature test" is based!

For anyone interested in how this calculation works - particularly in respect to France - you can read about it here: http://tilou62.blogspot.fr/2013_08_01_archive.html

So yet another MP scandal hits the headlines... and, in this case, comes too as a complete slap in the face to those who have paid (and in many cases continue to pay) into the coffers from which these heating payments have been purloined, I can - and indeed will - be signing off this blog and letters to our parliamentary representatives as...

Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells

SOURCES:

Free movement in EU: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=457&langId=en

Newspaper coverage of MP second home heating payments:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2486858/Theyre-STILL--Hundreds-MPs--including-Ed-Miliband-Nick-Clegg--energy-bills-paid-expenses.html

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/10423705/More-than-half-of-MPs-have-claimed-for-power-for-second-homes.html

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/nov/03/mp-expenses-claims-200000-pounds-heat-second-homes

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/mps-claim-up-to-6000-to-heat-second-homes-8919527.html?origin=internalSearch

 

Winter Fuel Payment: More Tory support like this please!

While my previous posts on the subject of the Winter Fuel Payment - due to be removed from expat pensioners in 2015 deemed to be living in "hot" countries* - may have given the impression that all Conservative MPs are in support of their Government policies, as the extract below by Sir Roger Gale MP for Thanet North shows, that analogy is not strictly true.

Gale's View, June 2013, written after Chancellor George Osborne's Spending Review:

"Chancellor George finds himself at the Despatch Box announcing some eleven billion pounds` worth of public spending cuts. Pick your own headlines. “War on Welfare” fits the bill. There will, excluding the State Pension, be a cap on benefits and claimants will have to learn to speak English. A three billion pound 'joint budget', designed to improve healthcare and residential provision for the elderly, will be shared between the Health Department and Local Councils – which sounds remarkably like robbing Health Service Peter to prop up impoverished Local Government Paul. Council tax frozen for another three years, of course. Another eighteen billion of money saved from elsewhere to be ploughed into road and rail infrastructure which sounds good but, with the bill for High Speed Two rising like an Olympic stadium (currently £42 billion but next week who knows?), may not go very far.

And although the incoming Governor of the Bank of England, Mark “Mountie” Carney, is predicting interest rate rises, the really good news is that the 'double-dip recession' did not happen and growth is back on the agenda.

All of this looks likely, though, to leave a hundred thousand or so ex-pat UK citizens without a winter fuel allowance that is worth up to £300 a couple. Quite how this is going to be made to work is beyond my grasp of climate control. The theory is that 'regions' with a higher average winter temperature than the warmest UK regions will forfeit winter fuel payments. This is based, of course, upon the thesis that ex-pat UK citizens are all rich, idle,  spend their days lying in the winter sun and drinking G&T and do not need the modest sum hitherto available to help to pay winter fuel bills. The facts, of course, are rather different. As I know from my own overseas mailbag many retired UK citizens, having worked and paid UK taxes throughout their lives and in some cases still paying tax in Britain, are now elderly, infirm, living in genteel poverty and are feeling the cold. (My wife and I spent Whitsun, up to June 1^st, in mid-France and had a wood burning stove burning day and night throughout the entire break!)  I can see this policy being laid wide open to challenge in the Courts. Is Bournemouth, for example, colder than Finisterre? And, if so, during what period of time? I used to be a staunch supporter of our overseas aid policy, believing, I hope with compassion, that as still one of the strongest economies in the world we ought to be able to help the poorest people upon earth. I now feel that if money is tight then our own ex-pat retirees, having paid their dues, are more deserving of financial support than countries that can build rockets, engage in space programmes and develop nuclear capabilities.  And, while we`re on the subject of assistance to ex-pats it`s surely time that our overseas pensioners were given a fair deal on pension uprating in those countries where we do not have a reciprocal agreement."

*It should be noted that Sir Roger Gale's article was written prior to the Government's announcement of how their "temperature test link" would work - by taking an entire European country's average annual temperature (plus any overseas territories associated with that country - in particular those that lie close to the equator!) and comparing it to the average annual temperature of the South-West of England. As such, the Government's definition of "hot" in relation to France has been calculated using that country's overseas territories in the Caribbean and Indian Ocean, where only 30 UK expat pensioners reside. As mainland France's average annual temperature falls below that of the SW England by more than several degrees this ensures that the Treasury does not have to pay those pensioners residing in France. This duplicity and deliberate manipulation can be seen when compared to the much warmer climes of Italy, where expats will continue to receive WFP!