steviedeluxe

Video in Spanish. Gives tips on living cheaply in the UK -

http://www.rtve.es/mediateca/videos/...a/600696.shtml

Causing quite a polemic (is that English?) on UK talkboards...

http://www.housepricecrash.co.uk/for...owtopic=142596

It's struck me though there's a business opp there for Brits moving to Spain - Target a big city and offer advice to local unemployed youth in moving/working in the UK. Or (if your shamefaced about it, how to sponge)

spain

dont think any advice is needed.....many already know how to "sponge" and its not that difficult even without any English language, the powers that be, in most cases have to provide a translator to help them receive what they are "entitled" to !!!

steviedeluxe

Not been my experience - the Spanish I've met in the UK have been effective, hard workers. This "knowledge" may encourage the odd one to milk the system, but I can't see large numbers of Spanish youngsters giving up their botellones and Mum's cooking to live on the dole in the UK. I've not seen this "have to provide a translator" either - at least ways when I signed on in vain last year (I didn't get the dole money) there weren't any translators in the office for the people speaking different languages (Polish, Italian, an Indian language). Seems an urban myth to me.

jackytoo

It is common practice across all the EU as the UK is known as a soft touch. The spanish are no exception. A neighbour's Son and two friends went as soon as they had finished uni. Stayed for just over a year. They thought it amazing that they could get a flat, dole money and free language lessons. He told me that they chose Sheffield as there is a big spanish student community there and in other Northern Cities.

I think if the UK doesn't tighten up the system it will all collapse soon

Lushdaddy

Deffo not an urban myth. I've seen this with my own two eyes and heard it with my own two ears. They have to provide interpreters, some of them can speak alright English but they get interpreters anyway so that the dole people have to tell them everything they are entitled to. That's why the native English get naff all unless they're very good at working the system. Crap innit..

cricketman

Yes many Spanish youngsters go to the UK for a year or two, but usually no longer. They either go for an Erasmus year, or to work in a rubbish job or to claim benefits.

But the main reason for them going is to have fun, to experience living in a different country, to improve their English and to be away from their parents.

When I was at Uni there was a small group from Gijon I went out with now and then who were working in kitchens and as school dinnerladies Now one of my footy team in Benalmadena has gone to Edinburgh for a year, probably to do what those in steviedeluxes link were doing.

Britain's not going to go bust off the back of this - and afik they're not claiming illegally. At least those claiming benefits are spending it on the local economy, mainly on drinking and going to nightclubs

michaleen oge

thank you for clearing this up for me..tomorrow I will away to the local (spanish)dole office to claim my flat,dole money,language tutor et al. knowing full well that the country won't go bankrupt and that I am doing them a favour by spending my ill-gotten gains in Spain.
Wonderful world we live in.

jackytoo

You couldn't make it up could you

cricketman

Why are the gains ill-gotten? They are claiming what they are entitled to. Sure you can claim what you are entitled to in Spain aswell

Yes it is very cheeky, of course!

Britain should change the rules, but that would mean doing so for British people as well.

michaleen oge

ah,the old arguement-only claiming what they are entitled to. well,I am no little englander(being oirish),but I think that is a terrible indictment about the mindset of people nowadays. You can go into the rights and wrongs of the social security thingy and not come to a satisfactory conclusion as to what you are entitled to.
To my mind if you have paid into the system all your working life,then you are "entitled" to something back. The welfare state was set up to take care of the most vulnerable in our society(that was the original aim anyhoo),but now it is a catch-all for "all I am entitled to" whether you be born in the u.k or the ukraine.
This on the whole wouldn't be such a bad thing if other countries reciprocated. If I went to the Ukraine,could I claim "what I am entitled to?" or nearer to home,,say if I walked into a Spanish social security office,what would I be "entitled" to? Not a lot,and that is the rub.
Look at the difference between what the Spanish girl was "entitled" to,and the behaviour of the social services to that poor woman who was born in the uk,left for spain with her parents,and years down the line,had to return to the uk with her son because she could no longer afford to live in the sun. What exactly was this british-born woman entitled to? Nothing.
Nothing more emotive than an arguement like this,but all sides have to be looked at objectively.

cricketman

Ah, you prefer the Spanish social security system then! As it happens, so do I!

michaleen oge

story of my life,mate. too old,too late.....

jurdyr

think if we try here we be told to FO

spain

no urban myth Im afraid...I know from my own hands on experience

cricketman

There are 50,000 Spaniards in the UK and some say 1 million Brits in Spain

Way more Brits take advantage of the Spanish lifestyle, weather, education and healthcare systems than Spaniards take advantage of British social security