to think that the Coalition goverment are using the excuse of the deficit to cut benefits and support for the poorest members of our society?

[Jazzicatz]

It just seems to me the Tory led Coalition Govt are doing what they always do but trying to hide behind the excuse of reducing the deficit. AIBU?

It's no a contraindiction. Some EU countries pay out benefits to their nationals who are not resident. Some do not. This is not illegal.

It is not penalising people to rule they cannot claim benefits like Winter Fuel Allowance when they are not resident.

They are entitled to their pension(s), to come back and use the NHS (well, sometimes they can get a bit shirty about that), etc.

I did not say that paying UK nationals who live abroad benefits had anything to do with EU law - it doesn't.

I was refering to CTC example.

However, penalising pensioners who choose to live abroad is both pointless and immoral. It's reactionary, dail-mail-esque bullshit.

A lot of benefits are residency based. Our local Children's Hospital routinely asks all parents whether they have been resident in the UK for past 12 months. Some get rather offended.

Interesting whether pensioners who leave the UK are entitled to NHS treatment? I don't know.

Oh, yes, it's so immoral and DM not to pay out Winter Fuel Allowance to people who live in . . . Spain.

Yes, it is immoral, both immoral and pointless. From the tax payers point of view, we should be encouraging people to retire abroad!

Trouble is they come back several times a year to use the NHS like many of my parents' friends do.

And they claim winter fuel allowance. Spain does get a bit cold in the winter according to them but it isn't for very long compared to the U.K.

Why do people who can afford many flights back and forth get this payment when there are parents of severely disabled children who absolutely need to be warm in order to sustain their lives not entitled to it?