Manhunt by Colin Sutton. Are there comparisons with Madeleine?

[Eleanor]

I remember my boss saying he was embarassed to be getting it as he didn't need it. He moved to a chateau in France when he retired, so I expect he's embarassed no longer lol.

The Winter Fuel Allowance is still not a Benefit.  And some of us do need it.  I spent many Winters here being very cold.
10 Degrees in my house because I couldn't afford to run up heating bills, so I sat in bed with hot water bottles and one bar of an electric fire, although even that cost money.

Things are better now because my son acquired a wood burner, and for which he also works to acquire wood. 

This is the reality of people living on State Pensions.  Eat or Freeze.  Although perhaps only for ExPats.

Your Boss at least confirms that it is not a Benefit, or Means Tested.

The fact that Old Age Pensioners in Britain are still sometimes required to apply for Benefits completely incenses me.

[G-Unit]

I can imagine she did.
I'm not sure I would have enjoyed being in charge.of thirty little children, especially PE lessons.

I once helped out with a scheme which offered actibities for small children. We took them to a park with a paddling pool and they all threw off their shoes and socks and headed for the water. I then learned that small children don't always recognise their own socks. I still don't know how many went home in the socks they arrived in. Small children are hard work.

[Erngath]

I once helped out with a scheme which offered actibities for small children. We took them to a park with a paddling pool and they all threw off their shoes and socks and headed for the water. I then learned that small children don't always recognise their own socks. I still don't know how many went home in the socks they arrived in. Small children are hard work.

 Indeed.
That seems very familiar.
The most exhausting days were not ones spent teaching but school outings.
Continually counting little people, dealing with toileting and feeling sick issues and even worse the time spent in the gift shops which nowadays seem to b at every school outing venue.
I used to come home, slump into a comfortable chair and reach.for a glass.of wine

[Eleanor]

I see no problem paying benefits to British citizens who don't live in this country... I'm talking about paying benefits to EU citizens who have never set foot in this country

But they aren't, are they?  If they eventually do live and work in UK, then I don't have a problem with that either.

I was actually offered a French Supplement on my British State Pension, to approximately 200 Euros a month.  But this remains recoverable from your Estate when you die.  This is a fact.  And there was no way in which I was going to leave that sort of debt to my children.  If I live to be over 100, which I have every intention of doing, then it could even amount to everything I own.  So everything about my life, my home and my family would have been for nothing.

Besides, I am very good when the going gets a bit rough.

[G-Unit]

 Indeed.
That seems very familiar.
The most exhausting days were not ones spent teaching but school outings.
Continually counting little people, dealing with toileting and feeling sick issues and even worse the time spent in the gift shops which nowadays seem to b at every school outing venue.
I used to come home, slump into a comfortable chair and reach.for a glass.of wine

Had I decided to teach teenagers would have been my choice. I've always liked them because I always found them fascinating. I was a youth leader and had great outings with the teens. We went to ice skating, swmming, speedway, football matches and amusement parks. I didn't have to worry about their socks either. My biggest task was teaching them that they should operate as a team and not ignore or exclude the less popular members. .

[G-Unit]

Any minute now we're all going to be told to get back on topic.

[Eleanor]

I once helped out with a scheme which offered actibities for small children. We took them to a park with a paddling pool and they all threw off their shoes and socks and headed for the water. I then learned that small children don't always recognise their own socks. I still don't know how many went home in the socks they arrived in. Small children are hard work.

I ran a Nursery School in Singapore for three years.  And my small Nursery School Children were so much fun.  None of it was ever hard work, once I sorted that it wasn't Kevin who was doing the bullying.  He just always got the blame.  That was one of my really important accomplishments.  His parents were in despair, when in fact he was just a nice little boy who was fair game.  I do so hope that this made a difference to his life.

[Eleanor]

Any minute now we're all going to be told to get back on topic.

Hopefully John will hive it off.  It is worth a Thread of it's own.

[Mr Gray]

But they aren't, are they?  If they eventually do live and work in UK, then I don't have a problem with that either.

I was actually offered a French Supplement on my British State Pension, to approximately 200 Euros a month.  But this remains recoverable from your Estate when you die.  This is a fact.  And there was no way in which I was going to leave that sort of debt to my children.  If I live to be over 100, which I have every intention of doing, then it could even amount to everything I own.  So everything about my life, my home and my family would have been for nothing.

Besides, I am very good when the going gets a bit rough.

benefits have and probabaly are still being paid to EU children...family members of people here...who have never been to the uk.......theres no stipulation to work.....we have a good benefit system but it neeeds some control over who receives benefits

[Eleanor]

benefits have and probabaly are still being paid to EU children...family members of people here...who have never been to the uk.......theres no stipulation to work.....we have a good benefit system but it neeeds some control over who receives benefits

How do they do this?  Is this Child Allowance for children who are separated from their parents who are working in UK?  Are these parents entitled to Child Allowance?  I don't know anymore.

[Mr Gray]

How do they do this?  Is this Child Allowance for children who are separated from their parents who are working in UK?  Are these parents entitled to Child Allowance?  I don't know anymore.

It seems parents in the UK are entitled to claim chid benefit for children living in their home country... I doubt the parents have to be working

[jassi]

David Gauke, the Treasury minister, published the figures for payments to 23,855 families, who live outside the UK but in the European Union, in response to a question from the Conservative MP Priti Patel.

By far the biggest proportion of children for whom claims are being made – nearly two-thirds – are living in Poland. The remaining third of claimants are in the other 25 EU countries and three others: Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. In all cases, families can claim £20.30 for the first child and £13.40 for each subsequent child.

Patel said the figures were "alarming". "Hard-pressed taxpayers are going to be absolutely appalled to see money leeching out of their pockets to pay these payments at a time when [they] are squeezed anyway," she said.

The Treasury defended the overseas payments, saying that they were obliged under European law, and pointed out that claims could only be made if at least one parent was working in the UK and paying National Insurance."These payments make up less than 0.5% of child benefit awards," added a Treasury spokesman.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/oct/23/child-benefit-payments-outside-uk

[Eleanor]

David Gauke, the Treasury minister, published the figures for payments to 23,855 families, who live outside the UK but in the European Union, in response to a question from the Conservative MP Priti Patel.

By far the biggest proportion of children for whom claims are being made – nearly two-thirds – are living in Poland. The remaining third of claimants are in the other 25 EU countries and three others: Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. In all cases, families can claim £20.30 for the first child and £13.40 for each subsequent child.

Patel said the figures were "alarming". "Hard-pressed taxpayers are going to be absolutely appalled to see money leeching out of their pockets to pay these payments at a time when [they] are squeezed anyway," she said.

The Treasury defended the overseas payments, saying that they were obliged under European law, and pointed out that claims could only be made if at least one parent was working in the UK and paying National Insurance."These payments make up less than 0.5% of child benefit awards," added a Treasury spokesman.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/oct/23/child-benefit-payments-outside-uk

I don't see a problem legally, as it stands at the moment, if the parent is paying National Insurance.  Where the child lives would appear to be irrelevant.

Will this change IF Britain leaves The EU?

[faithlilly]

I don't see a problem legally, as it stands at the moment, if the parent is paying National Insurance.  Where the child lives would appear to be irrelevant.

Will this change IF Britain leaves The EU?

I’m not sure Eleanor but I’m like you. If you pay NI, no matter your country of origin, you are entitled to the benefits that become eligible with that tax. Why anyone would disagree with that has a very skewed view of a fair benefit system.

As to our benefits sysyem perhaps if more nationals concentrated on the appalling treatment of claimants here instead of what others are claiming then we might not have diabetics dying because they don’t have enough to pay their electricity bills and can’t store their insulin.

[Miss Taken Identity]

I don't see a problem legally, as it stands at the moment, if the parent is paying National Insurance.  Where the child lives would appear to be irrelevant.

Will this change IF Britain leaves The EU?

I would imagine to legal requrement would revert back to the way it was.  My gran expained to me:

Child benefit was never means tested it was to help families with children when mothers stayed at home (industrial age when this was possible) the first child was allowed the benefit,but none after that. (I think this is 60's 70's). The benefit was paid to the childs parent which whom they lived with.  This changed to all children being eligible as long as they lived with the parent in the uk- this included service personel as being in the UK.

This change if you earn over 50k you have to pay it back. or refuse it.

The first born gets more than other siblings AND only payable if you are 'responsible' for the child/childen. They MUST live in this country with you.

This is gran is the cite lol