Shock as millions of pounds of winter fuel allowance paid to people in EU countries

The allowance volition inactive beryllium disposable to eligible radical successful the EU nether the changes (Image: Getty)

Millions of pounds successful Winter Fuel Allowance (WFA) has been paid retired to radical surviving extracurricular the UK, it has emerged.

In the twelvemonth 2023/24 determination were 34,307 of the payments made to radical crossed the EU, including successful Italy, Romania, Croatia and Bulgaria.

There were 25 payouts successful Croatia, 8 successful Iceland and an unspecified "low" fig successful Liechtenstein. Despite not being successful the EU, claimants besides received payments successful Switzerland.

The daze revelation follows the backlash implicit the arguable scrapping of WFA to each pensioners, which was 1 of the archetypal large decisions by caller Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who is acceptable to uncover her afloat caller fund adjacent week.

WFA payments varied from £100 to £300 per idiosyncratic successful the fiscal twelvemonth successful question.

Based connected an mean of £150 it would mean that £5.14 cardinal was paid out.

The bulk was to the Republic of Ireland which had 26,226 recipients, followed by Germany, with 2,185 and Italy with 1,632.

The daze figures were revealed successful an authoritative authorities effect to a written Parliamentary question from Sir John Hayes, the Tory MP for South Holland and the Deepings.

He had asked for details of: "How galore radical eligible for Winter Fuel Payments unrecorded overseas, breached down by country."

Emma Reynolds, Parliamentary Under-Secretary successful the Department for Work and Pensions, provided a array of claimants successful response.

Her effect showed that claimants could see EU nationals who person antecedently worked successful the UK. The allowance volition inactive beryllium disposable to eligible radical successful the EU aft Rachel Reeves' changes.

She added: "For wintertime 2024/25, to beryllium paid Winter Fuel Payments abroad, customers indispensable beryllium successful scope of the Withdrawal Agreement and equivalent agreements with the EEA-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) states and Switzerland, and the 2019 Convention with Ireland.

"Customers indispensable besides beryllium successful receipt of a payment equivalent to Pension Credit oregon different qualifying payment and beryllium capable to amusement that they person a Genuine and Sufficient Link to the UK.

"A Genuine and Sufficient Link to the UK tin see having lived oregon worked successful the UK and having household successful the UK. Statistics for wintertime 2024/25 bash not yet person a confirmed day for release."