medical card spouse entitlement
Jul 5th 2016, 9:30 pm
#1
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medical card spouse entitlement
we seriously thinking about a move to Ireland,Galway Bay area west of Galway city,from wet and cold Berkshire.
I'm 71 and receive a UK state pension,my wife is 61 and does not receive a
state pension as our government in its wisdom has delayed her state pension for another 4 years.
It looks as if I would qualify for a medical card due to my age and UK state pension but not sure if my wife is eligible for same benefits (under my card ) or if she would have to apply for her own medical card.
Can anyone throw any light on this ?
Have to say there is a lot of good inf on this forum.
I'm 71 and receive a UK state pension,my wife is 61 and does not receive a
state pension as our government in its wisdom has delayed her state pension for another 4 years.
It looks as if I would qualify for a medical card due to my age and UK state pension but not sure if my wife is eligible for same benefits (under my card ) or if she would have to apply for her own medical card.
Can anyone throw any light on this ?
Have to say there is a lot of good inf on this forum.
Jul 6th 2016, 6:41 am
#2
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Posts: 6,148
Re: medical card spouse entitlement
we seriously thinking about a move to Ireland,Galway Bay area west of Galway city,from wet and cold Berkshire.
I'm 71 and receive a UK state pension,my wife is 61 and does not receive a
state pension as our government in its wisdom has delayed her state pension for another 4 years.
It looks as if I would qualify for a medical card due to my age and UK state pension but not sure if my wife is eligible for same benefits (under my card ) or if she would have to apply for her own medical card.
Can anyone throw any light on this ?
Have to say there is a lot of good inf on this forum.
I'm 71 and receive a UK state pension,my wife is 61 and does not receive a
state pension as our government in its wisdom has delayed her state pension for another 4 years.
It looks as if I would qualify for a medical card due to my age and UK state pension but not sure if my wife is eligible for same benefits (under my card ) or if she would have to apply for her own medical card.
Can anyone throw any light on this ?
Have to say there is a lot of good inf on this forum.
Spouse/partner aged under 70 years: Where one spouse is aged over 70 years and the other spouse is aged under 70 years, they will both qualify for a medical card if their combined income is not over €900 a week.
Even if you are above the threshold, you still might qualify, or at least get a GP Visit Card
http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/...guidelines.pdf
And by the way, Galway is a great choice:-) Might still be wet here, but it's a warmer cold LOL
Last edited by Moses2013; Jul 6th 2016 at 6:52 am.
Jul 6th 2016, 10:06 am
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Re: medical card spouse entitlement
Hello - Anne here now with a question!
Our joint income would be just above the 900 euro threshold as Jeff has an occupational pension and I have a civil service one as well as his state pension.
Does Jeff get the medical card automatically as he is in receipt of the state pension without money checks?
and would I therefore get it when I receive my state pension at age 66 - sorry if I'm being obtuse - is it that you are over 70 that qualifies you or that you are in receipt of the state pension or are we both precluded as we have too high an income?
The medical side of it is our main concern as I take 3 different drugs a day at the moment. One is thyroxine, which in UK gives you free prescriptions as it is a drug that you have to take for life; I see there is a similar thing in Ireland but I couldn't see Thyroxine on it.
One of our children is moving to Ireland this year (my first husband was Irish) to the Galway area which is why we are thinking of that direction. I would like to be on the edge of a small town so that we can get involved and make friends - any suggestions would be gratefully received.
Thanks ever so much. Anne
Our joint income would be just above the 900 euro threshold as Jeff has an occupational pension and I have a civil service one as well as his state pension.
Does Jeff get the medical card automatically as he is in receipt of the state pension without money checks?
and would I therefore get it when I receive my state pension at age 66 - sorry if I'm being obtuse - is it that you are over 70 that qualifies you or that you are in receipt of the state pension or are we both precluded as we have too high an income?
The medical side of it is our main concern as I take 3 different drugs a day at the moment. One is thyroxine, which in UK gives you free prescriptions as it is a drug that you have to take for life; I see there is a similar thing in Ireland but I couldn't see Thyroxine on it.
One of our children is moving to Ireland this year (my first husband was Irish) to the Galway area which is why we are thinking of that direction. I would like to be on the edge of a small town so that we can get involved and make friends - any suggestions would be gratefully received.
Thanks ever so much. Anne
Jul 6th 2016, 12:26 pm
#4
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Posts: 6,148
Re: medical card spouse entitlement
Hello - Anne here now with a question!
Our joint income would be just above the 900 euro threshold as Jeff has an occupational pension and I have a civil service one as well as his state pension.
Does Jeff get the medical card automatically as he is in receipt of the state pension without money checks?
and would I therefore get it when I receive my state pension at age 66 - sorry if I'm being obtuse - is it that you are over 70 that qualifies you or that you are in receipt of the state pension or are we both precluded as we have too high an income?
The medical side of it is our main concern as I take 3 different drugs a day at the moment. One is thyroxine, which in UK gives you free prescriptions as it is a drug that you have to take for life; I see there is a similar thing in Ireland but I couldn't see Thyroxine on it.
One of our children is moving to Ireland this year (my first husband was Irish) to the Galway area which is why we are thinking of that direction. I would like to be on the edge of a small town so that we can get involved and make friends - any suggestions would be gratefully received.
Thanks ever so much. Anne
Our joint income would be just above the 900 euro threshold as Jeff has an occupational pension and I have a civil service one as well as his state pension.
Does Jeff get the medical card automatically as he is in receipt of the state pension without money checks?
and would I therefore get it when I receive my state pension at age 66 - sorry if I'm being obtuse - is it that you are over 70 that qualifies you or that you are in receipt of the state pension or are we both precluded as we have too high an income?
The medical side of it is our main concern as I take 3 different drugs a day at the moment. One is thyroxine, which in UK gives you free prescriptions as it is a drug that you have to take for life; I see there is a similar thing in Ireland but I couldn't see Thyroxine on it.
One of our children is moving to Ireland this year (my first husband was Irish) to the Galway area which is why we are thinking of that direction. I would like to be on the edge of a small town so that we can get involved and make friends - any suggestions would be gratefully received.
Thanks ever so much. Anne
EU pensioners’ medical card entitlementsprint
Retired people who have previously lived and worked in another EU/EEA state or Switzerland may qualify for a non-means tested medical card.
Under EU Regulation 1408/71, EU pensioners resident in Ireland who are in receipt of a social security pension from another EU/EEA state or Switzerland are entitled to a non-means tested medical card, provided they are not in receipt of an Irish social security pension, are not subject to PRSI for earnings, and are not employed or self-employed in Ireland.
According to the HSE, any additional income to the qualifying pension not subject to PRSI is not taken into account when determining entitlement to a medical card, eg. occupational pension, investment income, etc. (Medical Card/GP Visit Card National Assessment Guidelines – available on HSE website and from the INMO Information Office).
To establish entitlement to a non-means tested medical card, a person with a social security pension from any of the EU/EEA states (other than the UK) or from Switzerland will require EU Form €121, which is obtainable from the department of social security in the country paying the pension. A person who has a UK social security pension does not need to obtain EU Form €121 but must provide proof that they are in receipt of such a pension when making application for a medical card.
Retired people with Irish social security pensions who retire to another EU/EEA state or Switzerland are entitled to avail of the health services in that country. EU Form €121 is required to establish entitlement.
Further information is available from the HSE Primary Care Reimbursement Service, Tel: 01 864 7100 or 1890 252919.
Jul 6th 2016, 12:28 pm
#5
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Re: medical card spouse entitlement
The thing is that these requirements are for Irish residents who paid their taxes here. It's clear that anyone receiving a UK State pension get's the medical card and does not even have to fill out the E or S form:
EU pensioners’ medical card entitlementsprint
Retired people who have previously lived and worked in another EU/EEA state or Switzerland may qualify for a non-means tested medical card.
Under EU Regulation 1408/71, EU pensioners resident in Ireland who are in receipt of a social security pension from another EU/EEA state or Switzerland are entitled to a non-means tested medical card, provided they are not in receipt of an Irish social security pension, are not subject to PRSI for earnings, and are not employed or self-employed in Ireland.
According to the HSE, any additional income to the qualifying pension not subject to PRSI is not taken into account when determining entitlement to a medical card, eg. occupational pension, investment income, etc. (Medical Card/GP Visit Card National Assessment Guidelines – available on HSE website and from the INMO Information Office).
To establish entitlement to a non-means tested medical card, a person with a social security pension from any of the EU/EEA states (other than the UK) or from Switzerland will require EU Form €121, which is obtainable from the department of social security in the country paying the pension. A person who has a UK social security pension does not need to obtain EU Form €121 but must provide proof that they are in receipt of such a pension when making application for a medical card.
Retired people with Irish social security pensions who retire to another EU/EEA state or Switzerland are entitled to avail of the health services in that country. EU Form €121 is required to establish entitlement.
Further information is available from the HSE Primary Care Reimbursement Service, Tel: 01 864 7100 or 1890 252919.
EU pensioners’ medical card entitlementsprint
Retired people who have previously lived and worked in another EU/EEA state or Switzerland may qualify for a non-means tested medical card.
Under EU Regulation 1408/71, EU pensioners resident in Ireland who are in receipt of a social security pension from another EU/EEA state or Switzerland are entitled to a non-means tested medical card, provided they are not in receipt of an Irish social security pension, are not subject to PRSI for earnings, and are not employed or self-employed in Ireland.
According to the HSE, any additional income to the qualifying pension not subject to PRSI is not taken into account when determining entitlement to a medical card, eg. occupational pension, investment income, etc. (Medical Card/GP Visit Card National Assessment Guidelines – available on HSE website and from the INMO Information Office).
To establish entitlement to a non-means tested medical card, a person with a social security pension from any of the EU/EEA states (other than the UK) or from Switzerland will require EU Form €121, which is obtainable from the department of social security in the country paying the pension. A person who has a UK social security pension does not need to obtain EU Form €121 but must provide proof that they are in receipt of such a pension when making application for a medical card.
Retired people with Irish social security pensions who retire to another EU/EEA state or Switzerland are entitled to avail of the health services in that country. EU Form €121 is required to establish entitlement.
Further information is available from the HSE Primary Care Reimbursement Service, Tel: 01 864 7100 or 1890 252919.
Just to add to that:
Since you don't have the UK State pension yet, you still might qualify through NHS contributions (social insurance).
Healthcare in Ireland - Healthcare abroad - NHS Choices
If you move to Ireland you may be eligible for a medical card. You need to meet Ireland’s habitual residence requirements which are also means tested. For example UK pensioners need to be able to prove that they are covered by UK social insurance or have a UK State Pension. If eligible, the medical card entitles you to receive certain health services free of charge. In addition, you are usually asked to produce some evidence of your entitlement to healthcare in Ireland, such as proof of property rental or ownership.
Jul 6th 2016, 12:52 pm
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Re: medical card spouse entitlement
Thanks very much. I think if we work on the premise that Jeff will get the medical card and I won't until I'm 66 then anything we get for me will be bonus! Anne
Jul 6th 2016, 1:09 pm
#7
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Re: medical card spouse entitlement
He will definitely get it. You would probably have to contact the NHS, or maybe ring HSE here in Ireland for advise. The worst case scenario for yourself would be that should you ever need hospital treatment before the pension, you would have to pay max €750 in a year for hospital treatment and obviously GP charges (around €50).
You could also look into getting additional private health insurance, but it really depends what the benefits would be. Most people go for private health insurance, to avoid waiting lists that you often have in public hospitals. Luckily we have the cross border health agreement, so even if you think waiting lists are too long in your area, there are options that many people weren't aware of.
What is Cross Border Health Care - Ireland's Health Service
Apart from all this
, you've really picked a nice part of the world with Galway and really depends how you want to live (buying, renting?).
Jul 6th 2016, 2:06 pm
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Re: medical card spouse entitlement
Thanks - all very useful - I'll look at the Cross Border Healthcare.
We are planning to visit lots once our son has settled in and then buy. We were thinking of renting for a year or so but we have 3 not so young cats and I don't want to keep moving them around so would rather make a slow decision and then go for it!
We would be comfortable with a budget of anywhere between 250 - 400 euros - Jeff is quite concerned that whatever we buy would be very difficult to sell at some future date, I don't know if this is right or not but some of the houses on Daft.ie seem to have been on there for absolute ages. We are planning on buying a house to rent out here for extra income and a base should we ever want to come back. As I said, we would ideally like to be on the edge of a small town with everyday facilities (doctor, dentist, shop etc) but can't quite get our heads round town sizes etc at the moment.
Thanks for taking all this time. Anne
We are planning to visit lots once our son has settled in and then buy. We were thinking of renting for a year or so but we have 3 not so young cats and I don't want to keep moving them around so would rather make a slow decision and then go for it!
We would be comfortable with a budget of anywhere between 250 - 400 euros - Jeff is quite concerned that whatever we buy would be very difficult to sell at some future date, I don't know if this is right or not but some of the houses on Daft.ie seem to have been on there for absolute ages. We are planning on buying a house to rent out here for extra income and a base should we ever want to come back. As I said, we would ideally like to be on the edge of a small town with everyday facilities (doctor, dentist, shop etc) but can't quite get our heads round town sizes etc at the moment.
Thanks for taking all this time. Anne
Jul 6th 2016, 3:07 pm
#9
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Re: medical card spouse entitlement
Thanks - all very useful - I'll look at the Cross Border Healthcare.
We are planning to visit lots once our son has settled in and then buy. We were thinking of renting for a year or so but we have 3 not so young cats and I don't want to keep moving them around so would rather make a slow decision and then go for it!
We would be comfortable with a budget of anywhere between 250 - 400 euros - Jeff is quite concerned that whatever we buy would be very difficult to sell at some future date, I don't know if this is right or not but some of the houses on Daft.ie seem to have been on there for absolute ages. We are planning on buying a house to rent out here for extra income and a base should we ever want to come back. As I said, we would ideally like to be on the edge of a small town with everyday facilities (doctor, dentist, shop etc) but can't quite get our heads round town sizes etc at the moment.
Thanks for taking all this time. Anne
We are planning to visit lots once our son has settled in and then buy. We were thinking of renting for a year or so but we have 3 not so young cats and I don't want to keep moving them around so would rather make a slow decision and then go for it!
We would be comfortable with a budget of anywhere between 250 - 400 euros - Jeff is quite concerned that whatever we buy would be very difficult to sell at some future date, I don't know if this is right or not but some of the houses on Daft.ie seem to have been on there for absolute ages. We are planning on buying a house to rent out here for extra income and a base should we ever want to come back. As I said, we would ideally like to be on the edge of a small town with everyday facilities (doctor, dentist, shop etc) but can't quite get our heads round town sizes etc at the moment.
Thanks for taking all this time. Anne
Major surge in Galway house prices - Connacht Tribune - Galway City Tribune
That's the thing, people are looking for homes closer to city where they work and a house somewhere in the Connemara for 300K just won't have as many buyers. A radius of 30 km around Galway City and you won't really have a problem selling.
Good villages close to Galway within your budget would be Moycullen, Oranmore for example, but even outskirts of Galway City might be an option for you if you want everything close by. The thing about Ireland is that everything is spread out more, so a village for us could be a pub, petrol station & church with 3 houses
.It can be very hard to find things on Daft if you don't know areas. For UK standards, Headford & Athenry would be villages, however you often find houses a few mins away under a complete different name. A very nice estate I always pass on way home is here and the area is very nice but still close enough to City: 6 Carraig Mor, Lackagh, Co. Galway - House For Sale
Or the other side past Oranmore, the village Clarinbridge but again a bit outside the village
Stradbally East, Clarinbridge, Co. Galway - House For Sale
Jul 7th 2016, 2:07 pm
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Re: medical card spouse entitlement
Hello again. We bought ourselves an AA Road Atlas which is helpful. 2 of the houses our son is looking at are around Cappataggle. We were wondering about Ballinasloe (the town itself and very edges of it)? If you've ever been there and what your opinion was. I've noticed that the Irish have a different view of distance to us - it will say something like "on the edge of town" and then when you read on it is quite a few kms away. The edge of town to me is walking distance to the shops LOL. I do not like driving very much, in fact, I don't drive at all here although I have a licence - that might change in Ireland - but I don't want to rely on it just in case it doesn't. I notice that Ballinasloe has a rail station which could be handy. Anne ps. I used Youtube and had "a drive round the town" - the driver mentioned a yearly horse fair, wondering if that's a problem with an influx of not so desireables?
Jul 8th 2016, 8:07 am
#11
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Re: medical card spouse entitlement
Hello again. We bought ourselves an AA Road Atlas which is helpful. 2 of the houses our son is looking at are around Cappataggle. We were wondering about Ballinasloe (the town itself and very edges of it)? If you've ever been there and what your opinion was. I've noticed that the Irish have a different view of distance to us - it will say something like "on the edge of town" and then when you read on it is quite a few kms away. The edge of town to me is walking distance to the shops LOL. I do not like driving very much, in fact, I don't drive at all here although I have a licence - that might change in Ireland - but I don't want to rely on it just in case it doesn't. I notice that Ballinasloe has a rail station which could be handy. Anne ps. I used Youtube and had "a drive round the town" - the driver mentioned a yearly horse fair, wondering if that's a problem with an influx of not so desireables?
We all have different views and I've only passed Ballinasloe a few times in my life. No offence to any people who live there, but personally I can't see why you would pick Ballinasloe town before other places, especially with your budget and no connection to the place. I'm sure it's not that bad and there are decent enough houses around Ballinasloe at a lower cost, but wouldn't be my pick. Indeed, edge of town is completely different to edge of town in England:-). You'd then be far better off around Athenry, which is a lot closer to Galway and also has a train, or even Loughrea. From experience, you do need a car here if you're outside villages or towns, but there are many places with decent enough bus services. You probably want to be close to your son, but places like Moycullen, Kinvara, would seem a lot more desirable for retired people with your budget.
Regarding horse fair, here an article
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/irela...fair-1.2378678
Last edited by Moses2013; Jul 8th 2016 at 8:18 am.
Jul 8th 2016, 9:02 am
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Re: medical card spouse entitlement
It was just that it looked like what I would think of as a "proper town". Yes, we don't want to be too far away from our son as I would like to see the children a lot - I will miss them.
I see from another thread that you are from Kent. Might I ask where, just out of interest. We are South Londoners and spent virtually every holiday somewhere in Kent; even since we moved here we've still gone back to Greatstone or Camber once a year as we love it there. My sister lives in Tenterden.
I see from another thread that you are from Kent. Might I ask where, just out of interest. We are South Londoners and spent virtually every holiday somewhere in Kent; even since we moved here we've still gone back to Greatstone or Camber once a year as we love it there. My sister lives in Tenterden.
Jul 8th 2016, 10:07 am
#13
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Re: medical card spouse entitlement
It was just that it looked like what I would think of as a "proper town". Yes, we don't want to be too far away from our son as I would like to see the children a lot - I will miss them.
I see from another thread that you are from Kent. Might I ask where, just out of interest. We are South Londoners and spent virtually every holiday somewhere in Kent; even since we moved here we've still gone back to Greatstone or Camber once a year as we love it there. My sister lives in Tenterden.
I see from another thread that you are from Kent. Might I ask where, just out of interest. We are South Londoners and spent virtually every holiday somewhere in Kent; even since we moved here we've still gone back to Greatstone or Camber once a year as we love it there. My sister lives in Tenterden.
I'm sure Ballinasloe is not that bad, but I just think the town itself probably isn't the most attractive looking place. Just thinking further and unless you're actually living right in the centre, you'd still be outside the town. Ok it looks more like a proper town, but Ballinasloe still doesn't have much. Ok, you have Lidl, Aldi, Tesco, butcher, fast food, and a few other shops etc., but it's still not the most amazing shopping experience and you were talking about how easy it would be to sell later on. It does offer cheaper housing for people wanting to be in a town environment, but with your budget there are so many nicer looking places
It really depends what type of housing you're looking for, detached, bungalow, semi, big garden and so on. Just think that other locations (even smaller villages) closer to Galway offer just as much. You still get a supermarket, a doctor, butcher and retired people can get a free bus to Galway City.
With your budget, even a house in or just outside Galway would be possible and you could have walks along the prom in Salthill etc.
It still won't be that far away and your son is only 30-40 mins away
Jul 8th 2016, 10:31 am
#14
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Re: medical card spouse entitlement
Yes, I'm sure you're right and I am going to stop looking as it's pretty pointless without seeing the places.
Ashford is huge now, it just keeps expanding.
My son has chosen Galway for the work prospects - he will take pretty much any sort of work. He has been a house husband for about 3 years - his wife is a teaching assistant but they are hoping to role reverse now. If push comes to shove one of her brothers is a head teacher around Limerick and he will slot her in there but they don't really want that. They have a lot of family around Limerick but have lived there before and think Galway is nicer and of they will get a better property. Their house here is due to complete on 1st August and they will be going into rented in the area they hope to buy in. They will be buying cash and have enough money to keep them for a couple of years although of course he'd like to get work as soon as possible.
Ashford is huge now, it just keeps expanding.
My son has chosen Galway for the work prospects - he will take pretty much any sort of work. He has been a house husband for about 3 years - his wife is a teaching assistant but they are hoping to role reverse now. If push comes to shove one of her brothers is a head teacher around Limerick and he will slot her in there but they don't really want that. They have a lot of family around Limerick but have lived there before and think Galway is nicer and of they will get a better property. Their house here is due to complete on 1st August and they will be going into rented in the area they hope to buy in. They will be buying cash and have enough money to keep them for a couple of years although of course he'd like to get work as soon as possible.
Jul 8th 2016, 11:52 am
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Re: medical card spouse entitlement
Yes, I'm sure you're right and I am going to stop looking as it's pretty pointless without seeing the places.
Ashford is huge now, it just keeps expanding.
My son has chosen Galway for the work prospects - he will take pretty much any sort of work. He has been a house husband for about 3 years - his wife is a teaching assistant but they are hoping to role reverse now. If push comes to shove one of her brothers is a head teacher around Limerick and he will slot her in there but they don't really want that. They have a lot of family around Limerick but have lived there before and think Galway is nicer and of they will get a better property. Their house here is due to complete on 1st August and they will be going into rented in the area they hope to buy in. They will be buying cash and have enough money to keep them for a couple of years although of course he'd like to get work as soon as possible.
Ashford is huge now, it just keeps expanding.
My son has chosen Galway for the work prospects - he will take pretty much any sort of work. He has been a house husband for about 3 years - his wife is a teaching assistant but they are hoping to role reverse now. If push comes to shove one of her brothers is a head teacher around Limerick and he will slot her in there but they don't really want that. They have a lot of family around Limerick but have lived there before and think Galway is nicer and of they will get a better property. Their house here is due to complete on 1st August and they will be going into rented in the area they hope to buy in. They will be buying cash and have enough money to keep them for a couple of years although of course he'd like to get work as soon as possible.
I think Galway is a good choice for your son and yourselves and it does makes sense to see places before you rush into anything. Limerick City has improved over the years, but if you don't have to move there for work and have a choice, Galway area is a better choice in my opinion
.You get good bits and bad bits everywhere, but Limerick itself just looks a bit like a town in the UK and feels a bit rougher if you know what I mean (Maidstone etc.). No doubt that you have some nicer parts too and scenery is great outside the city as well, but Galway City feels more relaxed and I find you have fewer ugly parts. With all the tourists, pubs and things going on, it feels like a holiday. Of course there are things that could be improved in Galway and we're sometimes a bit behind with things, but other than that it's an amazing place. If we want madness and better shopping, we just get on the bus to Dublin for the day.
We live roughly 20 km East of Galway and really love it. It's very easy to get to work, have a nice big garden for the cats and nice and quiet.
The problem with Daft is that you can't just go by map, or pick a radius, so you really have to do some driving to see areas.