British OAPs could get “winter” payments

Thousands of British OAPs in the Balearics could soon be receiving a slice of the 100 million pounds Chancellor Gordon Brown has earmarked as part of the winter payments, if their counterparts on the Costa del Sol are successful. This new scheme has replaced the so-called cold weather payments which were only available when temperatures reached a certain level. Costa del Sol pensioners have launched a major campaign and they will be lobbying both the Treasury and the Social Services. The Market Place newspaper on the Costa del Sol has been running a series of articles, including “Home Thoughts From Abroad” by James Bromley claiming pensioners living in Spain are suffering discrimination by not being paid the allowance. Mr Bromley wrote: “British citizens who have served their country are now being deprived of their rightful dues.” Readers of the paper are now considering an appeal. British pensioners have already seen their incomes rise quite significantly thanks to the strength of the pound. But many pensioners living locally are finding it hard to make ends meet as the cost of living continues to rise in Spain.