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BRITONS IN SPAIN

Can British people in Spain 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. But can Britons living in Spain claim this benefit to cover the cost of heating their Spanish homes?

Published: 28 November 2022 12:27 CET
Updated: 18 December 2023 09:39 CET
Can British people in Spain claim the UK's winter fuel payment?
Can Brits living abroad still claim the winter fuel payment? Photo: he gong / Unsplash

Energy costs have risen in recent years in Spain, and now that the winter weather has finally arrived in Spain the added cost of paying for heating when the mercury drops can result in some very high bills.

Not all of Spain has freezing winters but there are often cold spells and many houses in the country tend to get even colder than it is outside.

READ MORE: Why are Spanish homes so cold?

The average winter temperature across Spain is 8C (1981 to 2010 average). That’s higher than the average in other European countries, but in Spain’s interior and mountainous areas it can be truly chilly from November to March.  

That means that overall, there’s a chance you’ll need to use a radiator or the central heating to keep your Spanish home warm.

So are some of the 400,000+ UK nationals who reside in Spain eligible for winter fuel financial support from the UK?

What is the UK’s winter fuel payment?

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.

I’m a UK national living in Spain. Can I claim the winter fuel payment?

The UK government states that those living abroad can benefit from the winter fuel payment if:

  • You moved to an eligible country before 1st January 2021
  • You were born before September 26th 1956
  • You have a genuine and sufficient link to the UK – this can include having lived or worked in the UK, and having family in the UK

While many EU nations are on the list of eligible countries, such as Austria, Germany, Sweden, and Italy, unfortunately Spain is not on the list.

This means that if you live in Spain, you will not be able to claim the winter fuel payment at all, even if you meet the age conditions.

Why isn’t Spain on the eligible list of countries?

The UK government services website nidirect 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 is despite the fact that some parts of Spain are a lot colder than the average UK winter temperatures. This includes cities, towns and villages near mountain ranges such as the Pyrenees or Sierra Nevada, or regions in the interior like Castilla-La Mancha, Aragón​​ and Castilla y León.

According to the British government, during winter the average temperature is between 2 and 7 C in the UK.

READ ALSO: Where are the coldest places in Spain?

Foreigners in Spain used to be able to claim this financial benefit, but it was scrapped in 2015 after many UK taxpayers were angry that UK winter fuel payments were going to help people that lived in countries that were generally warmer than the UK.

READ ALSO: Which UK benefits can Brits keep if they move to Spain?

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BANKING

How would the BBVA takeover of Sabadell affect customers in Spain?

Spain's second-largest bank BBVA is attempting a takeover of rival bank Sabadell. What would it mean for both banks' customer accounts, cards, mortgages and loans?

Published: 9 May 2024 14:24 CEST
How would the BBVA takeover of Sabadell affect customers in Spain?

Following news that Spain’s second-largest bank BBVA is attempting a hostile takeover bid for smaller rival Banco Sabadell, many customers may be wondering what impact this could have on them if the takeover goes through.

The Spanish government has since vowed to block the move, but BBVA’s new bid came three days after Sabadell’s board of directors rejected a merger proposal, saying it was “not in the best interest” of the bank.

READ ALSO: Spain’s Banco Sabadell rejects BBVA merger offer

The takeover proposal values Sabadell, Spain’s fourth-largest banking group in terms of capitalisation, at nearly €11.5 billion ($12.3 billion).

Though the situation is still developing and Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo has warned the government “will have the last word when it comes to authorising the operation”, there are a few things that would likely happen in the case that this takeover goes through.

Here’s how it could potentially affect millions of BBVA and Sabadell customers.

What if I have a mortgage with one of the banks?

In case of a takeover or merger, mortgages or loans would not be affected. This is because mortgages are essentially contracts with defined terms and conditions, so they could not be modified unilaterally by a bank after a takeover.

The requirements for interest rates on loans would also stay the same. However, the conditions of linked products (insurance premiums, for example) could theoretically be changed if they aren’t outlined in the contract.

What will happen to my bank card and account number?

After mergers and takeovers, as a general rule, the resulting banks tend to standardise the terms and conditions of their products, as well as their fees. This means that your card or account could gain (or lose) some fees, such as those for issuing a new card or maintaining the account.

This is not usually an immediate process, but be aware that banks can change the terms and conditions of accounts and cards following a merger or takeover.

It is likely your conditions will initially remain the same without much change, but the new/resulting bank may change the conditions later down the road.

However, banks are always obliged to inform customers months in advance of any changes so you can decide whether to accept the conditions or to change bank.

In practice, it is most likely that customers of the absorbed bank, in this case Sabadell, will see their IBAN code changed, although this is a procedure that shouldn’t really change much as it is the bank itself that does it. You’d just need to update your payment details where necessary.

What about investment funds and pensions?

In the case of investment products such as pensions, customers are likely to be forced to transfer their funds into the products marketed by the new bank, as not all banks market the same investment funds and pension plans on offer.

As such, doing this may oblige customers to assume the fees of the other bank.

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