Re: FREE HEALTH CARE SPAIN
 

No, if you are of retirement age in the UK, then you get the E121 forms, so 60 for women, 65 for men.
But, if the wife is over 60, the husband can be included in Spain.

Re: FREE HEALTH CARE SPAIN
 

Thanks for the reply but the retirement age for women in the UK is no longer 60, in my wifes case it is 63. Spose we'll have to wait till then for an E121?

Re: FREE HEALTH CARE SPAIN
 

Sorry, didn't realise it had changed. In that case, when one or other of a married couple reaches UK retirement age, both will then be covered on an E121 for SIP card purposes.

Re: FREE HEALTH CARE SPAIN
 

I spoke to a lady in the DWP offices about this and she said her retirement age has gone up to 68, she reckons they will get issued with zimma frames as well as lunch vouchers. ,-))

Re: FREE HEALTH CARE SPAIN
 

Could some kind person clarify the issue of UK retirement age and SIP. Is it correct, as suggested by earlier threads, that if one's wife reaches her UK retirement age (61 in our case) then she can apply with an E121 and obtain her SIP and as part of that process I can be included and receive full entitlement to Spanish healthcare even though I have not reached 65?

Re: FREE HEALTH CARE SPAIN
 

That is correct! You become her dependant.

Re: FREE HEALTH CARE SPAIN
 

Excellent. So, by inference if we apply for our E106 when my wife is 59 and receive 2 years entitlement to a SIP, then we can reapply for a new SIP with an E121 on her 61st birthday. Or am I being too optimistic?

Re: FREE HEALTH CARE SPAIN
 

That is correct. But remember that the E106 is issued for a period up to I believe 30 months, depending on you NI contributions in the 2 year period leading up to your application.

Re: FREE HEALTH CARE SPAIN
 

Valenciatim - many thanks for the information. I took early retirement in UK and have not paid NI contributions for 4 years as I have sufficient years contributions for a full state pension when I reach 65. It am be worth my while to investigate voluntary contributions now to secure free gratis SIP cover via the E106. I will chat with DWP.

Again many thanks from wet Galicia.

Re: FREE HEALTH CARE SPAIN
 

I thought I had enough stamps too, but if you leave the UK before you are 60 you forfeit the last 5 years stamps, so I am now on 91% pension. ;-((

Re: FREE HEALTH CARE SPAIN
 

Voluntary NI contributions now won't help...they are only for topping up your contributions for your pension entitlement if required and entitle you to nothing else.
Your entitlement or otherwise to an E106 is dependant on your NI contributions being up to date immediately prior to leaving the UK.

Re: FREE HEALTH CARE SPAIN
 

Hmmm. Plan A then - wait for wife to reach her retirement age and apply for E121.

I have heard of individuals who "wing it" re healthcare by keeping in place there EHIC and GP paying for minor medical costs in Spain as they require with fallback position of returning to UK to sort major health issues. Not within the rules but ......... .

Re losing the last 5 years contributions to UK pension if you leave before you are 60 - I believe this refers to the fact that you are credited with 5 years if you are in UK when you are 60 and then leave. If you have accumulated the necessary need 30 years prior to 60 for the full basic state pension you will not have years taken from that.

Re: FREE HEALTH CARE SPAIN
 

Wrong, I worked and payed from 15 till I was 59, apparently they don`t count the first year (cheeky buggers took my hard earnt money though) so I had 43 years worth.

Re: FREE HEALTH CARE SPAIN
 

If one becomes 65 after 6/4/2010 you only require 30 years qualifying contributions to qualify for a full state pension. So at 57 I have 40 qualifying years, if they knocked 5 years off me for leaving the UK before I was 60, I would still have 35 qualifying years and therefore a full pension.
Am I right?
Confused of Costa Blanca!

Re: FREE HEALTH CARE SPAIN
 

If you have 40 years already, they won't take any off you, it just means you won't get the five years credited after 60, which you would if you were in the UK.

However, if your retirement date is after 6th April 2010, you already have more than enough.

To clarify about Retirement ages, women's retirement age increases in increments from 6 April 2010 until 2020, when it is 65 the same as the men's, then after that, everybody increases to 68.

See here for your retirement date:

http://www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/...calculator.asp