Brano77

We are a married couple now living in Northern Galicia. Residencia and Padron sorted. We need to finalise our healthcare provision. Ages 58 and 58. I have 34 years UK NI contributions and will receive a full pension at 65. My OH will reach retirement age in May 2013. I and OH have not paid UK NI (Class 1/2) in the last 4 years and therefore not entitled to an E106. I am not in receipt of any benefits. Neither of us will be working.

As I had a heart attack in 2005, private health insurance is perhaps not the ideal option.

Questions.

1. Could someone advise how I go about registering and paying into the system as Autonomo to obtain healthcare under the state system? Costs I understand approx 250 Euros/month.

2. When my OH reaches her UK retirement age in May 2013 she can claim free Spanish healthcare via an E121. I understand I can be a dependent on her E121 and therefore also receive free Spanish healthcare at an age of 62. Is this a formality, “enshrined in tablets of stone” or can there be issues? What is the definition of a “dependent”? If I’m in the Spanish system at that stage as Autonomo, is it a formality to withdraw and transfer healthcare provision courtesy of my OH’s E121?

3. We have considered private healthcare, not least of all because of cost. The downside is obviously the risk of getting a big bill if treatment for an existing medical condition is required. Also we live some 50km from any main centre where private healthcare is readily available, and therefore it is not that convenient for routine trips to see the doc. If we did have private healthcare what in practice happens if you dial 112 in an emergency. Are you brought into the state system and, all being well, transferred to the private sector? Will you subsequently get a bill from the state for their input into your treatment?

4. Has anyone gone down the road of “pay-as-you-go” and has experience of, or knows where typical costs of common treatments can be found? I presume you cannot access the state system on a pay-as-you- go basis but have to go straight to private clinics?

Mitzyboy

Hiya
Paying into the system as an autonomo when you are not one is not a legal option, and I heard the Authorities were clamping down on this

Yes, you can get full health care as a dependent when your wife reaches retirement age .... Ive just done it ... you are named on her E121

Private health care for the two of you would only be about €1400 a year here, but as you say not ideal maybe for your existing issues

Ive paid for some things, such as a full medical when I got here .... that was about €350

jdr

I don`t know about the new 34 years system, but I left the UK early and lost the last five years of contributions that you only get credited if you live in the UK so only get 92% pension.
This only comes to light when you claim your pension.

Mitzyboy

Its down to when you retire JDR. You were unlucky. I fall into the 30 year as well

HBG

You have an option to make up the missing payments by way of a lump sum.

Mitzyboy

Oh God, dont start him off again

jdr

I had enough stamps apart from the 60 to 65 that they credit you if you retire early, but I moved to Spain so they reckon I don`t qualify for them.

Brano77

Re full pension qualifying years. This changed from 44 years for men and 39 years for women to 30 years for both sexes for those reaching state pension after 6 April 2010. At the time this put a lot of peoples noses out of joint, particularly those who had neen paying voluntary contributions to rake up the 44 years for a full pension and had no need to!

Re Autonimo - I have now recieved the following from DWP.In the intervening years I see you would like to pay into the Spanish system.

Unfortunately, as we understand it, this is only possible on a voluntary basis (known as Convenio Especial) if a person has worked and contributed in Spain previously. A person can be registered as 'autonomo' and pay in. This is done through the TGSS (Tesoreria General de la Seguridad Social www.seg-social.es) but is an official act of registration as self employed. If you do not intend to work in Spain, I do not believe this is a possibility.

So Mitzy you are correct, as is normally the case.

I have therefore changed my healthcare strategy and programmed any future heart attacks to after May 2013. In the meantime I will talk to Sanitas and arrange insurance.

Mitzyboy

Make very sure you go onto the Spanish site, not the BUPA sanitas site. The difference could be €200 a month!

HBG

Did you have to tell them that you moved to Spain, knowing that you would lose the five-year credits?

jdr

Like everyone else I assumed I had the 44 years, and even did a pension payment assessment and was told I was entitled to 100% pension.
I did not know about the loss of credits until she asked me when I had moved to Spain, then came the crunch.
As far as their figures work out you actually need 50 years credits.
Age 15 to 60, first year payments is not counted for some strange reason.
Age 60 to 65 free credit, but only if you stay in the UK, so allegedly I am 5 years credits short.

HBG

The reason I asked is because my wife, partner at the time, did the same thing and told the pensions people that she was living in Spain, for no reason at all.

Her foolishness is going to cost her £15 a week for the rest of her life.

What’s even more daft is that she’s still got a flat in London and could well have gone back to live there after telling the pension people that she was living in Spain.

It’s all very well trying to be super-honest, it just costs you £15 a week. Minimum.

Madridboy

Is there a link to show how to calculate what you would be entitled or not entitled to?
I was an employee in the UK since the day I left school at the age of 16 for 14 years then was self employed for 2 years then moved to Spain and was self employed for 2 years and am now an employee in Spain. I'm guessing I'll just recieve my Spanish pension as long as I continue to contribute over here.

Fred James

Yes, and you will also get a UK pension based on the contributions you made in the UK.

Madridboy

No kidding! Time to stop smoking then, don't want to loose my health and miss out on my pension time.