Receiving UK Winter Fuel Allowance in Spain.

[bored to tears]

youre absolutly right Kid, ask ANY spainish person, which they would prefer old shack in the country, or nice heated double glazed flat, in the town.

You'll see them laughing all the way to the bank clutching money from the mad english bloke at having sold them a cattle shed with no power as a desirable residence!!

[frank]

and what is wrong with a bit of light work.

Nothing, if you're a fit sprightly 50 year old, but if when you are sixty or seventy, you find a bombona light work, you'll be one fit pensioner.

[frank]

By the way I am not called Frank.

You know that, and I know that (probably more than 30 years between us!) but the new boy from Chesire would appear to know more than us! I can just see him when he reaches 70 odd running around in minus temperatures with a bombona on his back, and a bag of leña in his hand!

[katy]

Even in a new or nearly new house here you should budget at least around 25000 euros to get it up to UK standards, they aren't such good value as you think. eg. heating, hot water, you can get a boiler with hardly enough capacity for one bathroom let alone three. Unless you are prepared to spend a large amount of money you are roughing it. Even the madrileños think it is a backward province. In the whole of spain only 15% of homes have central heating. I could not envisiage a life without CH.

[Alan-LaCala]

I could not envisiage a life without CH.

What a sad position to be in.

Alan

[Valencia_Paul]

Well I'm not sure about having a bombona on my back cos I don't know what it is. Apologies for thinking Frank and Kevin77 were the same person - it's just that there have been (apparently) many people here with multiple ids and you do seem to sing the same old tunes around here.

If I did move to the Spanish countryside I would have a house built to my spec which would include super-insulation, heat exchanger, solar water heating etc. and I reckon I would be snug as a bug for minimal fuel costs. I wouldn't dream of trying to spend a Spanish winter in a draughty, damp old Finca, or a concrete apartment with single glazing and no insulation, like my flat in Spain.

Both the Spanish and British building industries are guilty of building the same old crap for nigh on 30 or 40 years. Our UK houses have a bit better insulation than modern Spanish houses but building in both countries is very environmentally poor relative to the winter conditions in each country.

If you find yourself freezing in Spain in the winter then I don't think you have done enough research or made enough visits prior to making the move.

[frank]

A bombona is a gas bottle, without which Spain would grind to a very cold halt. Re the multiple ID's, not ever having been banned from a forum, I don't have a need for them, plus I'm prepared to stand by what I write without having to hide behind a fictitious name. I don't give out my address due to the amount of nutters on here, but I have exchanged e-mails with several people here, and have had no problems giving them my e-mail address.
Re singing the same old tunes, we don't agree about everything that's for sure! It's just that we are realists, and whilst I am a big lover of things Spanish, the language, the people etc, I'm also aware that not everything in Spain is perfect, or anywhere near it. But some here would have you believe otherwise. Fotunately, there are some sane voices on here (Beachcomber, Katy, Lorraine etc), people that supply unbiased information, people that have removed the rose coloured glasses!

[sherlock holmes]

F

otunately, there are some sane voices on here (Beachcomber, Katy, Lorraine

On the subject of sane voices - anyone know what happened to "hillybilly" I miss her postings.

[frank]

No, no idea. But it's understanable that a lot will be put off by some of the nonsense written here by the multi id'ers. The number of posts seems to have dropped off quite a bit, and "regulars" are to be found on other similar sites.

[Jade138]

Flaccid, flaccid this morning when I got up ... brrrrrrrrrrrrrr, but then phew, I am not a brass monkey

In the whole of spain only 15% of homes have central heating. I could not envisiage a life without CH - Me too.

No kidding!, it's sad, how do the poor locals brave out during winter?

[nevada smith]

frank,
to the contrary -
you are one of a number of people who do not stand behind their postings
rather, you just skip to another topic with your finger paints -
you also seem to wind up very tight, very quickly...

[frank]

frank,
to the contrary -
you are one of a number of people who do not stand behind their postings
rather, you just skip to another topic with your finger paints -
you also seem to wind up very tight, very quickly...

I'll answer you just this once! You will have noted there are certain people here that I deem not worthy of an answer, people that I choose not to waste my time on, people undeserving of a reply, and you fall firmly into that category. So whilst I stand by what I say, with the exception of this post, I won't be replying to you, or the multi ID'ers, not now, nor in the future.

[peteroldracer]

While searching for something else entirely I came across this thread dating from before I got t'internet installed here, but relevant as the nights draw in!
Lots of squabbles, moans, mutters as usual on a.com (yes yes I am guilty too!!), but not one person pointed out that unless you are receiving the winter fuel allowance in the UK before you move out here, you do NOT qualify to receive it in Spain - never! Unless of course you are one of the lying cheating fiddlers that claim to be living in someone else's house in the UK, in which case when they reach the age to qualify for it they will be excluded because there is a limit on how many from one household can get it. So if you still 'officially' live with mummy, you will be doing her out of her allowance!

[katy]

I'm not sure you are correct about this but I can't be bothered to check it out just now. BTW looking back at the thread what happened to Frank?

[peteroldracer]

katy: From the government website (UK!) My bold italic underlines, because so many people still do not accept it!
"Do I qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment?
You should qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment for the winter of 2006/07 if during the qualifying week of 18-24 September 2006, you were::
aged 60 or over and
normally living in Great Britain or Northern Ireland Payments may continue if you leave or have left the United Kingdom and are living in another EEA country. For more information, see our section on receiving Winter Fuel Payments whilst living in another EEA country or Switzerland.
And clicking on the link given above
"Who can receive a Winter Fuel Payment outside the UK?
If you have received, or would have been eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment in the UK, you may be able to continue to receive your Winter Fuel Payment if you move to another European Economic Area (EEA) country or to Switzerland."

[katy]

Seems like I will not get it when I reach the required age Would have been handy this house costs an arm and a leg to heat.

[alisonb]

Peteroldracer is correct that you only get this if you had previously been getting it in UK. And the other bit is right too - in UK we were renting a cottage on a farm (both the cottage and the farm had the same address) and my husband and our landlord were both 60 within a couple of weeks of each other. They each got £100. When we asked the winter fuel people why, they said that there were two people at the same address, and the allowance was therefore split. We had to send them photos showing the farm and separate cottage, together with separate electric and gas meters, before they each got £200.

[Alan-LaCala]

what happened to Frank?

Perhaps he eloped with Spanish Hopes!

Alan

[Shukran]

Perhaps they're still here, but under a different guise?

[gavilan]

re winter weather .. what surprised me living in the Axarquia Alta was the strength of the wind ... quite often it absolutely roars down this valley from the north and the trees reflect the direction it blows!