Can Brits in France claim the UK's winter fuel payment?
In the UK, there are various benefits available to help eligible people through the cold winter months – one of which is the winter fuel payment - and you don't have to live in the UK to benefit.
The UK's winter fuel payment is a tax-free payment to help older people with heating costs during the cold winter months.
Those eligible must have been born before September 26th 1956, according to the UK government website.
How much people receive depends on their age and whether anyone else in the household is also eligible, but the amount is usually between £250 and £600.
Crucially, you don't need to be living in the UK to benefit and the gov.uk website has a whole section about claiming for people who live abroad.
While many EU nations are on the list of eligible countries, such as Austria, Germany, Sweden and Italy, unfortunately France is not on the list.
This means that if you live in France, you will not be able to claim the winter fuel payment at all, even if you meet the age conditions.
Why isn’t France on the eligible list of countries?
The UK government services website states that “you cannot get the payment if you live in Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugal or Spain because the average winter temperature is higher than the warmest region of the UK”.
This might come as a surprise to people who live in the snowbound villages of the Alps or the Pyrenees - where temperatures can fall to as low as -20C in the winter.
And in fact northern France, especially Brittany and Normandy, has a climate that is broadly similar to the south of England, although southern France is significantly warmer.
If you're confused about why Italy qualifies and France doesn't, the answer lies (as it often does when it comes to weird things about France) in the French overseas territories. The whole of 'France' was taken into account when calculating average temperatures, which includes the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Gaudeloupe and the Indian Ocean island of La Réunion.
However if you're an older person who lives in France, you may be eligible for help from the French state when it comes to staying warm during the winter.
There are several benefits including the chèque energie that are aimed at helping people with fuel costs, and these are not limited to French citizens. If you own your own property there are also several grants available to improve the energy efficiency and help you to keep warm in winter.
Finally if you're older and need either financial or practical help to stay in your home, there are several services available.
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The UK's winter fuel payment is a tax-free payment to help older people with heating costs during the cold winter months.
Those eligible must have been born before September 26th 1956, according to the UK government website.
How much people receive depends on their age and whether anyone else in the household is also eligible, but the amount is usually between £250 and £600.
Crucially, you don't need to be living in the UK to benefit and the gov.uk website has a whole section about claiming for people who live abroad.
While many EU nations are on the list of eligible countries, such as Austria, Germany, Sweden and Italy, unfortunately France is not on the list.
This means that if you live in France, you will not be able to claim the winter fuel payment at all, even if you meet the age conditions.
Why isn’t France on the eligible list of countries?
The UK government services website states that “you cannot get the payment if you live in Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugal or Spain because the average winter temperature is higher than the warmest region of the UK”.
This might come as a surprise to people who live in the snowbound villages of the Alps or the Pyrenees - where temperatures can fall to as low as -20C in the winter.
And in fact northern France, especially Brittany and Normandy, has a climate that is broadly similar to the south of England, although southern France is significantly warmer.
If you're confused about why Italy qualifies and France doesn't, the answer lies (as it often does when it comes to weird things about France) in the French overseas territories. The whole of 'France' was taken into account when calculating average temperatures, which includes the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Gaudeloupe and the Indian Ocean island of La Réunion.
However if you're an older person who lives in France, you may be eligible for help from the French state when it comes to staying warm during the winter.
There are several benefits including the chèque energie that are aimed at helping people with fuel costs, and these are not limited to French citizens. If you own your own property there are also several grants available to improve the energy efficiency and help you to keep warm in winter.
Finally if you're older and need either financial or practical help to stay in your home, there are several services available.
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