jojojojojo

But we have a new government in the UK who are hell bent on making sweeping cuts!!! I would suspect that whatever has been agreed up til now in your case, may well be halted until new directives are put in place - you may be ok, So who knows?????

Personally, I believe that if you choose to live in Spain then it is Spain you should be requesting DLA from as that is the country that will benefit from the cycle of money, but thats just my own thoughts!

Jo xxx

crustycrab

In reply to an article in the Express newspaper

Those such as Matthew Elliot and the UKIP MEP Campbell Bannerman need to grow up and start to educate themselves. Let me correct young Master Elliot by firstly informing him that those expats who are in receipt of incapacity benefit, DLA or both represent only a tiny fraction of those who receive this benefit in the UK. However, it has become popular to bash expats by brandishing them as cheats and fraudsters, whereas in reality the problem lies back home in the UK. , where we can see, when applying simple arithmetic, that the percentage per head of population of those in receipt of such benefits elsewhere within the other relevant States, dwarfs that by comparison with UK residents.
Secondly let me advise Master Elliot when he seeks to use the tax payers tactic, that a very high percentage of us expats are also retained as UK income tax payers, by virtue of over 100 bi-lateral tax agreements the UK has throughout the world, including all EU Member States. I am but one such tax payer and despite this I have also been disenfranchised of my right to a UK national vote – Political Party’s voting and referendums Act 2000. Therefore as a ‘Union’ citizen I have no national vote anywhere in the world and neither can I participate in any referendum with regard my future as a British citizen and a Union citizen
Thirdly let me advise all commentators that there are proper procedures set out in Community law – Regulation 883/04, whereby a Member State is permitted, not only to require medical checks, they may also approve the physicians who carry out such checks, provided there is no discrimination and we fully support any measures to ensure that only those who are entitled to such a benefit receive those benefits. I am disabled, but do not receive any State disability related benefit. However, as a resident of Spain my only ‘perk’ is a Disability Parking Bay entitlement and I had to jump through the hoop to get that, including travelling to the Provincial capital to appear at the government medical centre. Therefore I can attest to the fact that the criterion for disability awards in Spain is very rigid.
It is for our government to properly address the rules/regulations, rather than to create a smoke screen by attacking expats.
I grew up in a world where my family, along with so many others fought to rid Europe of oppression, yet there are still so many amongst us who cling to that Island/insular mentality.
Yes, David Cameron it does snow in winter in Spain and yes, it does get bitterly cold at sundown and my winter heating bills are much higher than those of the average UK resident.
No, we do not receive any of those perks, which are available to our UK counterparts. The reality of the situation is that the expat elderly are far less a drain on UK resources. In fact there is a vast army of us who contribute towards those resources and yet get nothing in return
I have been representing some harrowing cases in respect of very seriously ill expat citizens, where the UK has refused to re-instate a benefit contrary to Community law and in several of those cases the claimants have died, often in agony, not to mention poverty, without securing their lawful right to some benefit.
Let the younger people of today never forget that they owe their prosperous existence to the hard work of so many of us elderly citizens.
Don’t take me on Master Elliot, because you will not succeed.
What any caring society must avoid is throwing the baby out with the bathwater
David R. Burrage – British Expats Association (Spain)

crustycrab

Spain is not my competant State so are not responsible for my health. I pay into the UK system, not the Spanish, which goes towards funding others in the UK who are in need.

JLFS

I was only stating that it is a fact of lfe that certain groups of people have the publics sympathy and some dont.

The sick and disabled are a group of people who have the voting publics sympathy, but all sympathy seems to be lost when this group of disabled or ill move abroad to a country that is still regarded and a dream for many.

I cannot see the suffering taxpayer in the UK, low wage earners etc, being thankful that their contribution goes to a benefit recipient living in the sun.

These people will be hit hard and they will be wounded by the government, the government will not want to allienate these voters completley, so things will have to be seen to be done and quick.

Human nature is that way, the "disabled and ill" are not begrudged their money per say, but when they seem to be living the life that Joe public cannot afford, they get angry as they are paying for it out of their taxes.

JLFS

I dont understand, does the UK make a NET gain on your claim then?

crustycrab

Like I said, I pay into the N.I system in the UK which goes towards the Goverment fund and helps people who live in the UK and are in need.

When someone has worked and paid into the system in the UK, (me for example), then no-one can be mad at that person for deciding to live elsewhere. Sour grapes. It is not "a holiday" when you live in Spain. Everything is expensive. Life goes on the same as it does in the UK. Nothing changes. There are good days and bad days, there are problems with your child not doing too well at school and having to see the teacher. People who live in the UK must stop this mentality that "expats" are all on a permanant holiday. This is very narrow-minded and ignorant.

JLFS

What you say maybe true about the British opinion of expats, but even with all the negatives of living in Spain, the british voting public facing cuts themselves must be appeased by the powers that be.

Taking your own personal situation out of the equation, surely you can see how there is a lot of resentment, you must read the press and see the comments about expats and benefits.

crustycrab

YES

JLFS

So it must make a net gain on all the other expats who live abroad then?

crustycrab

Yes I do understand, but I do not make up the rules.

If fact, there is a "Test Case" for new claims for DLA being heard at this very moment.

So we shall have to see what happens.

Maybe those on here will be right, and the UK will send all expats back to the UK so that they can mingle amongst the others "foreigners" and be given a free house, housing benefits, council tax benefits, ctc, cb and everything else that comes along. Then we will see if the Government are making any progress in cutting their deficit. Which was of their own making in the first place and should not be "put on the shoulders of expats", we did not put the UK into such as state. Expats are less of a drain in the UK then the people who live in the UK

agoreira

No, it's my thoughts as well! People are keen to tell us they paid into the UK system, some for not many years, but are happy to forsake UK and expect UK to pay them for what could be another 40-50 years. Nice work if you can get it.

crustycrab

To get any benefits from the Spanish you have to have worked in Spain and paid into THEIR system, they then become your competant State. It´s not that hard to work out

whitelinen

I dont understand how someone who has not worked since 1996 and is permanently signed off still pays UK NI.

crustycrab

Incapacity Benefit now pay my National INSURANCE contributions. If I had not PERSONALLY paid enough NI in the first place then IB is not awarded. So yes, I have worked for a very long time and paid everything that was necessary.

whitelinen

Oh dear, reads more and more like the ranting of Burridge