WFP rules still under EU review

EUROPEAN commission officials say ‘examinations’ of British regulations which remove Winter Fuel Payment (WFP) from people in France from next winter are still ‘on-going’ and they cannot give a time-frame for a decision.

This comes as French MEP Franck Proust, who asked the commission if the regulations comply with EU law, has received the same reply.

A commission spokeswoman told Connexion that when examinations such as this are under way it is not possible to give any details of how they are being undertaken, what the possible outcomes are or when the examination may conclude.

Mr Proust, contacted by a constituent in the south-west, had asked if it was acceptable for people in France to be refused the benefit when those in some other EU countries may receive it. The new regulations are based on the UK’s decision that France is too ‘hot’.

The commission told him it was “aware of the amendments” and its “services are currently analysing the UK legislation in the light of the EU law”.

In principle, however, the then spokesman for social affairs told Connexion in 2013 that the WFP is considered a kind of pension that should be available to eligible people wherever they live in the EU.