Fears grow for UK consulates

THE FUTURE of France’s consular network and of expatriates’ long-term incapacity benefits has been thrown into question in the British government's spending review.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has been told to make a 24 per cent real-terms reduction in its resource budget, 55 per cent in capital spending and 33 per cent in administration over the next four financial years.

The spending review document says the FCO will make “reductions to the global workforce” and “increase its focus on championing British companies to win exports”.

Only two of France’s five consulates, Paris and Bordeaux, have a trade remit as opposed to helping ordinary expatriates and travellers.

An FCO spokeswoman said: “We will need to review our network of posts in the light of the spending review settlement and our future needs; however, the Foreign Secretary has been consistently clear that the UK has global interests and that we must therefore maintain a network with global reach.”

The spending review also contains new rules on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), which is replacing the Incapacity Benefit claimed by about 1,500 Britons in France with long-term disabilities and illnesses preventing them from working. It says claimants deemed capable of work after new assessments will lose the benefit after a year.

A DWP spokesman said the first expatriates will switch to ESA from spring next year and their assessments will be carried out by a French health professional.

The government is not, however, cutting the winter fuel payment for over-60s, which had been under consideration, or making changes to other exportable benefits such as disability living allowance and attendance allowance.

Also in the review, the state pension age for men is to start rising from 65 in 2018, six years earlier than planned, reaching 66 by 2020, and the age for women is to rise at an accelerated rate, reaching 65 by November 2018 and 66 by 2020.

The France representative for the UK hardship charity Elizabeth Finn Care, Mary Hughes, said: “Pushing back the pension age affects everyone who came here expecting it at a certain age. The announcements may also affect the value of the pound against the euro, which affects people with pensions or income from the UK.” For many expatriates in France, a state pension is not only a source of income but their passport to joining the French health service, as opposed to paying for private policies.

Mrs Hughes added: “If any consulates close, this will make life difficult for both expatriates and people over here on holiday. The consulates are always busy in summer with lost passports, accidents and illnesses.”