fyfin

Just to let you know - today we travelled to the INSS office in Huercal Overa (nice and early arrived at 9.15am) to see if we could register on the Spanish Healthcare system.

We went to a desk first as you cannot take a ticket until they know why you are there. As soon as he saw the S1 forms he pressed a button and a ticket was printed for us, about 5 mins later or less , desk no 3 was put up on the screen for us. The guy on the desk was very helpful and could speak good English although we were quite prepared to communicate in Spanish (as best we could).

Luckily I had taken our marriage certificate and a copy as that was requested along with a copy of the Empadronamiento cert, residencia cert and a copy of passport. All copies were handed back at the end to us as they scan them now.

It took a little while (about 20 mins) as he had to deal with two applications but at the end after much computer inputting and stamping , he handed back one each of our S1 forms duly stamped with another form attached.
He explained that as our S1 was temporary we would not receive a Tarjeta Sanitaria and instead we would have to take the stamped S1 form if we wanted treatment.

So we are sorted until Jan 2014 when we will have to decide what to do then , probably some sort of private health insurance until I am 65 in Jul 2016.

I noticed something else regarding the dates on the S1, ours run from just after when I contacted them 01.11.2012 to 04.01.2014 which is a bit more than a year and I suspect that had I contacted them earlier then it would have still run until 04.01.2014 which is 2 years after I stopped paying NI in UK.

Lynn R

Glad you got that sorted out. If you intend to take out private medical insurance to bridge the gap between your S1 cover expiring and becoming a pensioner, you will need to take account of the fact that there will be a qualifying period to access certain kinds of treatment under the health insurance policy (generally differs depending on the treatment, can be 3 months for some things, 6 months for others, even 12 months for pregnancy and childbirth cover - although that may not be relevant for you), although emergency treatment and GP visits would be covered straight away. So in order to make sure you have comprehensive cover you would need to take out the insurance policy several months before your S1 cover expires.

bigglesworth

Another lengthy call to Newcastle, who confirm again that residual S1s are, as Im and Er says, issued annually and run to the last Saturday of a year. (Which however can be the first Saturday of the next). If one is already in the latter half of a tax year, they may issue an 18 month one, depending on whether HMRC have updated their database to show sufficient NI contributions in that last year of work to validate the second years cover.

It is only if one takes care to time ones retirement and contributions correctly that one receives two years. You should not use HMRC guidance on that as HMRC operate April to April. (One can get two and a half years but that depends on being a particularly high earner, they said).

Thus I retired on 31st January 2013. HMRC withdrew (or whatever it is called) workers S1 cover, and DWP issue (d) the first residual S1 to cover us till 4th January 2014. In October November 2013 I must apply again, by which time HMRC will have updated their records to show NI contributions in tax year 2012/13.

Provided these exceed the necessary amount – I did not make a note but I think it is about 5500- they will then issue a further 12 months to end 3rd January 2015. They will issue no further cover. Thus I will get 23 months cover, not 24.

Had I retired any later in the tax year, I would have received no extra cover, as the residual S1 runs January to December. Thus had I retired in April, I would have received only 20 months cover and in June 18 months.

If however one pays sufficient NI in the three months AFTER the end of the tax year (an amount they will not define, as it is determined on a rolling annual basis, and has not yet been decided for 2015 but is unlikely to be substantially more than this year’s amount), then they extend for up to an additional year. So one would get 6 months to the end of 2013 based on ones 2011.12 contributions, 12 months based on ones 2012/13 contributions and 12 months based on 2013/14.

Therefore, I asked, for most of us, unless one retires on December 31st it seems impossible to gain that two years cover. They agree with that. They are quite plain that there is a lot of misunderstanding on expat websites.

They did operate their own website UKINSPAIN to try to clear the confusion up (they used to be very helpful in the Spanish forum). But that has been closed down. It is now part of www.gov.uk

The average residual S1 they grant they say lasts for 18 months. (Logically, as they are issued on a calendar basis, that must mean they are normally issued end June- which seems bizarre.)

In the circumstance I find myself, where we reach State Pension Age soon after January 2015, I will have to contact them again in November or December 2014 to request a “letter of legislation” stating that we no longer have access to UK health benefits. In these circumstances, they say, the French and Spanish authorities rarely refuse.

Nobody else in the EU accepts these letters.

The point about the EHIC card seems to be directed at those who keep their old NHS EHIC cards. One should apply for a new “E” EHIC- it seems to be identical to the other, but the authorities can tell the difference. Technically, apparently, when no longer in receipt of a worker’s S1, one should reapply for a Residual S1 EHIC. Although it cannot make any difference, as they told me not to bother unless mine was due for renewal anyway!

Im_and_Er

It seems churlish if not arrogant to argue with what you have got from the horses mouth so to speak however what you have been told seem to fly in the face of what happens in practice.

I retired in April 2012 whilst still on a workers S1 which was valid until September.

I contacted DWP a few weeks before that and they issued a residual S1 which ran until Jan 2014, a period of 15 months. There was no mention of my workers S1 being withdrawn or being invalidated by my giving up work and in fact we discussed the precise date of commencement to avoid any gap in cover and as I recall we settled on one weeks overlap. This was all done in the course of a single phone call.

Maybe the difference is that I told HMRC diddly squat when I retired, I had a S1 which had another 5 months or so to run so saw absolutely no reason or need to. Did you contact them to tell them that I wonder ?

I also question this:

I didn't actually say that BTW but as I understand it, and in line with my own personal experience, entitlement is based on the previous 2 FULL and COMPLETE tax years and your NI record must surely be at DWP's finger tips. Why would they have to wait for HMRC to update anything makes no sense at all.

Best of luck with that !

On the EHIC question, we already hold 5 year EHICs valid until 2015 but along with the DWP S1 I received forms to apply for new ones. I submitted those straight away and that would have been in about August last year - currently I'm still waiting for them !

bobd22

NHS site says you must have paid NI contributions up to 3 years previous not 2 ? I retired not state retirement age 18 months ago and am hoping to move out early next year and take advantage of the S1, from what you say I would have to move out the end of this year as my last NI payment was Dec 2011 (43 years worth). Any thoughts before I phone them. I don't reach state retirement age until July 2019 by the way

Im_and_Er

The '3 years previous not 2' refers to immediately preceding tax years not just any therefore the clock for an S1 started ticking when you stopped paying NI.

If that was in Dec 2011 then at very best your entitlement, if any at all, would be to Jan 2014.

How many years you paid in in the past is irrelevant.

Unfortunately your only options for health care in France until you reach state pension age are private insurance or employment.

bigglesworth

Im and Er is right.

Sorry.

bobd22

Yes I was aware that the number of years of contribution meant nothing. Thanks for the response

Alcala

I took S1 forms for me and my husband along with the required certificates to my local INSS yesterday and the man I dealt with there didn't know what it was. He had a discussion with 3 other men then came back to me and printed off an E121 form which I must now fill in and it covers both me and my husband together apparently. Haven't filled it in yet. Emailed DWP yesterday to ask their advice but still waiting for a reply. Has anyone else done an E121 form instead of an S1?

lynnxa

S1s replaced E121s years ago.....

Alcala

yet the man in the INSS gave me the E121 yesterday so maybe they still use it here methinks

snikpoh

Many health departments in Spain are blissfully unaware of recent changes (even though this one was a few years ago).

The E121 and S1 forms are UK forms ONLY!

I gave up trying to explain to my local health centre that the S1 had replaced the E121 years ago until, one day, I noticed a large English poster on the wall explaining just that. I suspect that staff are not being particularly well trained when these forms are changed - and I can sympathise with that to an extent. How can they possibly keep up with all the changes. All I would ask is that once they have the error pointed out to them, they take an interest and look into the issue!

Alcala

What do you suggest I do in the meantime? Shall I just fill in the E121 and hopefully get my card which covers both of us? Unfortunately I hardly speak any Spanish at all so am unable to tell them that the S1 replaced the E121.
If they obviously still use the E121 what would I lose in using that instead of the S1?

Rosemary

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

snikpoh

I would advise doing just what they ask and fill in the E121.

However, be aware that they might not accept it

Where in Spain are you?