Left out in the cold

By Jason Moore THE British government is obviously well aware of the plight of many British expatriates who have been hit by the falling pound and the credit crunch. I suspect that the debate over whether British citizens living on mainland Europe should receive additional benefits will continue for many months to come but there is one benefit which the British government is already paying some expatriate Britons, cold weather payments. Only Britons who claimed this benefit in Britain and then moved abroad can receive it. This is absolutely outrageous and it should be extended to all British pensioners living abroad. The cold weather this week in Majorca clearly underlines the fact that the winters on the island are now very cold. The idea many people have in Britain that Majorca enjoys sunshine all the year around is one of the reasons I believe this payment has not been extended to all. The people who have probably been hit the hardest by the credit crunch are those who retired early on their savings and probably moved abroad. They now find that their income has fallen dramatically while the cost of living has increased. Now, is the time for the British government to take action and help those who are suffering living abroad.