Mitzyboy

Well ..... I suppose she is 90. If I make it to 90 and can still understand whats going on I'll count myself incredibly lucky

Big_john

I quite agree, and to make 90 and still be in there is a great achievement, sorry if I seemed to be having a go which was not intended.

But all those years ago and nothing done, it just seems a bit far fetched to have gone on like it for so long, without any questions being asked .....sad really

toyboy23

I thought the E106 is pre retirement age and the E121 is post retirement age. AFAIK neither of them entitle you to totally free healthcare. The E106 is issued when you leave Blighty (pre retirement age) and lasts for a set period of time. The E121 is issued when you reach retirement age and are living abroad.

There seems to be an idea around that pensioners in all countries get completely free healthcare. I stand to be corrected on the detail, but the advice I have received is that in both cases (E106 & E121) you will need to financially boost the healthcare.

I thought that to do quite a few things in Spain, such as own property, you need the NIE.

Last I heard as regards a return to UK was that proof of UK residence, such as utility bills is required, and that proof to cover a period of 6 months. That applies to new immigrants to the UK also, so basically, once you leave the UK you’re going to get no special treatment despite all the money you’ve paid into the UK coffers.

Sadly, I can only agree with Gary_F that NHS care for the elderly is appalling. As to whether her days will be numbered is debatable, but who wants those days to be anything but the best? My MIL was the victim of shabby treatment in three different hospitals in the SE of England. All they are interested in is targets and budgets - not the patient. I’m confident the elderly don’t help their stats in any way at all, and yes, they do hasten their way to free up beds.

Mitzyboy

Your E106 will give you free healthcare under the state system for a temporary period, depending on your UK NI contributions over the last so many years. However we still pay for prescriptions, although if I have a temporary SIP card I will only have to pay a percentage of the prescription cost
You need to take out private health care to cover yourself between temporary cover and retirement unless you are working.
Your E121, once you reach retirement age will get you a full SIP card, and will give you the same cover as a Spanish National retiree under the state system, i.e. free including free prescriptions. If one of you is retirement age, the other who is not retirement age also is covered for free healthcare as a dependent.

Yes you need an NIE for many things here inc electricity, phone, and most people ask for your NIE when invoicing you for something

toyboy23

That seems logical. Presumably ‘working’ means paying taxes, so it could be self-employment too?
So Gary’s grandmother cannot have got through 20 years without an NIE.

lynnxa

Many companies, including telefonica as an example of a 'biggie', will accept your passport number in lieu of a NIE, and it's quite possible that she's needed little to no medical care (it sounds like she's always been healthy up to now) so could have just paid privately on the odd occaision, like we did when we first arrived.

I guess what I'm saying is I think she could have very easily have slipped through the 'net', with no record of her having lived here all this time!

Solarwhizz

Couple points on comments made,
The E106 does not entitle you to health care in Spain until you are sixty, The E106 gives cover for two years after arrival and you must apply before you leave UK, at time of application you must be paying NHI contributions in UK as self employed or as Employee. F121 , is issued to person of pension age from the UK Women at 60, men at 65. If one person of a MARRIED couple is of pensionable age both can get covered on the other's right so to speak.
I believe it is six months resident in the UK before you can get treatment, however it is rare that they can follow this up, as the system is incapable at this time, providing you have your UK health card and just register at a UK doctor with a UK address (been doing it for Years)(Its important not to say you have been living overseas otherwise the game is up).
If your mother has a property in Spain she will most certainly have an NIE as you cant buy without one, (for example they will let you buy on your passport, but your Gestor or Abogado will have applied for an NIE at that time), so you will be registered somewhere. Your main problem here will be the back taxes, as if you have no idea where your NIE is you probably havent paid the taxes on your House (IBI, expat wealth tax) over the last twenty years.
If you live in the Valencia region (which includes Alicante), you can register with the Social and they will accept you immediately,
If you opt to just go to the local hospital as an emergency, you will be billed at a later date for treatment. if you dont qualify under E106/E121/E111.
All the above is based on personal experience, so there may be elements of maladministration and luck involved,

Mitzyboy

Yes , I think thats what I said isn't it. E106 for temporary cover, E121 when you are of retirement age. The E106 does cover you though under 60. I am covered until Jan 2008 and I'm not anywhere near 60 yet.
RE the NIE, don't forget that this was 20 years ago so God knows what the system might have been then

Gary_F

Thanks for even more info and clarification. I don't know what to say to some of the comments other than I was just a little boy in shorts when she moved over to Spain so I wasn't able to advise her with formalities! What's important now is that we get her the care she needs on the little resources she has left.

I don't look forward to getting old. Perhaps the best plan is to save up for quality care and skimp on luxuries when you are younger. But then again you're supposed to live life while you're young. Oh the dilema!

Mitzyboy

Or you spend your life skimping when you can enjoy things and then when you think you're getting to the age when you can benefit from all that skimping you peg it! You just don't know whats around the corner, and although I find it difficult to adhere to this advice myself, you have to live life for the day

I'm not saying I know the best, but if I were you I'd be jumping on a plane, finding a gestoria, and establishing exactly her situation. Only then can you make a decision.
Good luck to you both

Unexpat

Why can't she (or you) pay a gestor to sort out all the paperwork for her? Get a NIE, get on the register of empadronamiento and get her tarjeta sanitaria so that she can happily get her medical treatment in Spain.

Might cost a couple of hundred euros, but would take all the hassle of sorting the paperwork trail out.

Citizens of the EU no longer need residency in Spain, although after over 15 years of living here, she technically has permanent Spanish residency anyway.

Edit: Missed Mitzyboy's response, which is pretty much saying a similar thing - oops

Rosemary

We have all tended to look at the legal side because that is what you were asking about but I wondered how frail she is, what support systems has she around her and whether there is a member of the family who would be able to come out to help her. The Spanish people are so helpful that if someone came over to highlight her needs you may find that the help is there on the doorstep so to speak.

Also being a nosey git - where in Spain does she live, is it a large place or out in the sticks?

Rosemary

Big_john

Solarwhiz,

I think that you have probably hit the nail on the head, and touched a raw nerve BACK TAX, and that will / is one of the biggest problems I fear in this case.

As regards the hospitals re the U.K. when I was in the U.k. at Xmas I unfortunately had a dose of Shingles which were pretty sore.

I wasn't sure what to do as I had livede overseas for years so called into a Tesco's and spoke to their chemist for a possible over the counter remedy, no such luck

He gave me a telephone number of the local hospital and told me that I would be sorted within 1 hour, did I believe him did I b-----Y, ANYHOW.
Within 1 hour I had an appointment at the local hospital and a prescription for the hospital, and the very nice Dr said any more problems call me on this No ------
The service that I had was excellent and without any questions asked

Gary_F

@Unexpat, thanks for the advice but I'm struggling with the lingo. Gestor? Tarjeta sanitaria? I would happily pay for a local expert to sort things out for her.
@The Oddities, she lives in a medium size town. We're taking it in turns to go out there and visit her. Easyjet must have heard because they've got rid of all the cheap flights! ;-)

jdr

Gestor.

The next time someone is over it would be a good idea to look one up and make a few enquires, they know all the ins and outs of paperwork, and a lot can speak English.
Tarjeta sanitaria is similar your UK health card.