Brits allegedly offered £2,600 to move to Spain? What you should know about this claim

Every day we hear more and more stories of Brits moving abroad eager to escape the grey skies of the UK and who can blame them? Brits are constantly travelling to places like Spain to catch some sun, so why not move there?

Happily, there also are numerous reports of quiet villages around Europe struggling to maintain their population and so offering incentives for workers to move there and help revive the local economy.

One such example is the town of Ponga, in the north of Spain, which will reportedlypay Brits £2,600 to move there and another £2,600 for every child born there. It sounds like a fantastic deal where everybody wins - but unfortunately it isn’t true.

Offer to move to Ponga is not real

Ponga is a Spanish town in a region that gets 2,000 hours of sunshine every year, which is considerably higher than the UK’s 1,387. The town offers stunning views of the hills of Asturias and so it’s no wonder that many Brits would love the chance to move there, especially if they’re being paid to go!

Indeed, several websites and social posts have claimed that the town is paying the incentive for willing expats, however local officials have denied that the scheme exists at all, as per the Daily Star.

Still, for those whose interest is piqued, the town is well worth visiting if you’re looking for a relaxing holiday and flights from London start at just £35.

Whilst this particular incentive scheme has turned out to be too good to be true there are several other places around Europe who are offering similar deals for those wanting to live somewhere a bit warmer.

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Countries offering money for new residents

Presicce, in Italy’s Puglia region, is another town that was offering up to €30,000 (£26,200) for people to move there. The only condition being that newcomers must use the money to buy an empty property and renovate it.

Calabria, the southern region of Italy, has also launched a scheme to pay people up to €28,000 (£24,400) to relocate to villages with 2,000 residents or fewer due to them suffering from depopulation.

Albinen, Switzerland is located in the canton of Valais and is offering to pay families over £50,000 just to move to the stunning mountain village. The stunning area sits 4,265 feet above sea level and launched the scheme five years ago to reverse the trend of people leaving the town.

Italy has launched a ‘One Euro Homes Scheme’ recently where houses are selling for just €1 in communities struggling with depopulation. There are often conditions to the sales but for those who want a taste of la dolce vita it could be perfect if you’re willing to take the plunge, as per The Daily Mail.

Sources used:

- The Independent 'Spanish town offers Britons £2,600 to move there – with one condition'

- Daily Mail 'The idyllic villages in Europe that will PAY you to live there - and countries offering digital nomad visas'

- Daily Star 'Truth behind sun-soaked Spanish town 'offering to pay Brits to move there''

- The Mirror 'Brits can get paid £2,500 to move to Spain and double it by having a kid'