§ Mr. DavidsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if pensioners qualify for winter heating allowance if living abroad for all or part of the year; and if he will make a statement. [121808]
§ Angela EagleThe Winter Fuel Payment scheme relates only to people aged 60 and over who are ordinarily resident in Great Britain. Eligible people living in Northern Ireland get similar payments through mirroring legislation.
If someone lives only part of the year abroad and their normal home is in Great Britain they are eligible for a payment; but someone whose normal place of residence is outside Great Britain is not eligible.
The payments are aimed at mitigating harmful climatological effects that are particular to the British winter. Great Britain has a variable winter climate, which means that there are short spells of very cold weather rather than long ones. Weather conditions can also change rapidly over a few days, and winter mortality rates are higher in Great Britain than in most other European countries. The payments are therefore aimed at older households in Great Britain to ensure they are able to turn up their heating when it is cold.