Winter Fuel Payments

Mr. Hollobone
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 28 February 2007, Official Report, column 1414W, on winter fuel payments, how much was spent on making winter fuel payments to pensioners living outside the UK in 2006-07, broken down by country of recipient’s residence.

Mr. Mike O'Brien
[holding answer 15 January 2008]: European Community law means that some benefits acquired in one member of state must be paid to people when they move to another country within the European Economic Area. Winter Fuel Payments are only paid to former UK residents living in the European Economic Area if they qualified for payment before leaving the UK. The number of Winter Fuel Payments made to former UK residents living in the EEA is in the following table.

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|By country           |£        |
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|Gibraltar            |16,600   |
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|Republic of Ireland  |755,250  |
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|Austria              |20,650   |
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|Belgium              |24,200   |
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|Denmark              |8,700    |
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|Finland              |7,600    |
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|France               |1,878,400|
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|Germany              |119,200  |
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|Greece               |115,300  |
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|Italy                |130,200  |
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|Luxembourg           |3,100    |
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|Netherlands          |32,650   |
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|Norway               |6,500    |
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|Portugal             |154,350  |
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|Spain                |4,021,450|
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|Sweden               |16,800   |
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|Switzerland          |20,400   |
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|Iceland              |900      |
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|Liechtenstein        |200      |
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|Malta                |95,300   |
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|Republic of Estonia  |1,400    |
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|Republic of Latvia   |2,500    |
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|Republic of Lithuania|600      |
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|Hungary              |15,400   |
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|Poland               |25,000   |
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|Cyprus               |479,500  |
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|Republic of Slovenia |800      |
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|The Czech Republic   |1,400    |
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|The Slovak Republic  |400      |
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|Total                |7,954,750|
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