Iain Duncan Smith has promised to fight the EU ruling that British expatriates in tropical countries should qualify for heating benefit as it could cost the UK almost £100 million per year.
The EU ruling means 444,000 expats who have spent most of their working life in Britain would qualify for the payment. Iain Duncan-Smith is now planning to bring in a new rule stating the payments can only go to people living in cooler climates.
However, the Department for Work and Pensions has confirmed that the new temperature rule would also apply to pensioners in Britain, raising concerns that this would mean the elderly residing in the milder areas of the south of England could lose the benefit while those in colder parts of Europe continue to receive it.
If IDS takes away the Heating Allowance for UK Pensioners he will lose
a few more Million Votes in aprox 30 months time.