Prescriptions
 

My wife and I are both on medication. Do you get free prescriptions in Spain if you are 60+ ? Any info welcome thanks.

Re: Prescriptions
 

We're not over 60 so I don't know whether they are free for the over 60's but you first need to sign with the equivalent of an NHS Doctor. You can check that when you sign. Prescription medicines are very cheap though. Prior to signing with a Doctor my husband's blood pressure tablets cost almost 20 Euros a month. Now he gets two months for a little over 3 Euros. It has to be worth it.

Good luck.

Re: Prescriptions
 

Yes. providing one of you is claiming UK pension in the UK. It only needs for one of you to be over the pension age as well, and BOTH will get free treatment and prescriptions. My wife was on pension in the UK, I had taken early retirement, and wasn't even 60 when we moved out here, I was registered as getting free prescriptions and treatment by virtue of my wife being a pensioner. You need to get a form from the Department of Pensions in the Uk showing entitlement, and then, once registered with the 'Social Services, not really sure just what it is as this was done by our after sales and lawyers.' here in Spain, we went to the local health centre, and were registered and given an SIP number, a temp card, and later a plastic, credit card type. My wife is on medication for thyroid problems and arthritis, and all prescriptions are free.

Re: Prescriptions
 

Great, thanks for that. Much appreciated.

Re: Prescriptions
 

wait please someone over 60+ women in france gets ONLY 35% paid by uk the rest has to come out of her pocket........ full uk state pension also.


UK dont pay much!! i got a bill for over 200€ when i twisted my anckle on an E111

Uk are mean buggers very and retired are sitting ducks ..... 35% is the least they can get away with without refusing to pay anything!!

100% only if you move to spain with a known previous sickness, or you wont get all, and certainly wont for ANY illness after you arrive there.

E106 not E121 !!

Re: Prescriptions
 

Well we should be covered then!

Re: Prescriptions
 

You should contact the DH to check it all seems complicated.
DH web site
The E111 was replaced at the beginning of the year.
New Card
An E106 only covers you if you are working in another country, but you must pay into the U.K. system.
E106

Re: Prescriptions
 

Your information about E106 is incorrect.

E106 gives full health cover in Spain. You do not have to be working in Spain.

It lasts for up to 2 years and is only issued if you have recently been working in the UK and paying DSS contributions. You do not have to continue paying UK contributions but you may choose to pay Class 3 contributions which will increase your eventual UK pension.

The assumption is that within 2 years you should be working and paying into the Spanish system and then will be covered anyway.

A lot of early retirees use E106 for a couple of years before they qualify for E121 when they reach pension age. If there is a gap between the two, private health cover is the only option.

Re: Prescriptions
 

odd i had an E121 issued my mother had the E106 and she was very retired.

But the amount of benefits you get??? determined by UK? 35% -100%

Sadly the price of private cover for anyone getting close to, and god forbid over, 60 is astronomic.

Re: Prescriptions
 

Not neccessarily. We took out insurance when we were 58/64 and pay about 1200 euros a year. There is no increase in premium (apart from inflation) however old we get to.

That is with Prevision Medica in Malaga province.

Fred

Re: Prescriptions
 

yes sorry

was in 'french price mode then' where everything is getting so expensive ......

think the health for me was 800 and mum 1600 and something..... very very basic cover too!!! needless to say not taken out thank you very much!! only going into hospital you'd benefit at those prices and they dont cover you for anything you already have or they think they can get out of. inclu any dental or eyes in first year etc etc ........ so why bother?

ruddy insurance all the same world over.

Re: Prescriptions
 

as i butted in on Spain, perhaps someone could help here:

toady phone call from a lady i know, she only just got to sort out her WISE benefits sent over!

Newcastle asked her husband who remains resident in WISE to write a letter saying yes his dependants (wife 2 kids) can claim from his NI. Newcastle issued him an E106 in WISE.

He sent the form to her arrived today. In his name! and E106 that states clearly dependants living with you. Hes not resident. Newcastle say it cover him in france and england..... but we all know thats a porkie, as an E111 covers him in france. If the lady processes the form his NI will become french and he wont be covered still working in WISE.

Should she have been issued a E109? anyone help?


ps yes being pedantic = WISE= wales,ireland, scotland, england. I dont do GB, and UK means what? bermuda too??

Re: Prescriptions
 

You only get free prescriptions if you are a pensioner or hold a e121 which you can only get from U.K if you are registerd disabled and are already receiving Ivalidy Benefit or similiar.
Kind Regards :beer:

Re: Prescriptions
 

So, if you offered to pay Class 3 contributions to the UK, could you then get an extension on an E106?

Re: Prescriptions
 

However if you are so registered, your husband/wife will ge the same benefits providing they have been included on the E121 form from the UK.

Re: Prescriptions
 

An E106 is issued for up to two years. I don't think it is possible to get an extension. It is designed to cover the transition period for moving and working abroad. If you havent found a job and signed onto the foreign health system after 2 years you have to make private health arrangements.

The main benefit of paying Class 3 is to get the maximum state retirement pension and it does offer a very good return on the investment.

Re: Prescriptions
 

I have worked long enough to have already paid all the contributions I need to to get max pension, it was the chance of extending the 106 I would have been interested in.

Re: Prescriptions
 

Here you go ... sorry its a bit long but an article I found somewhere .....

Breach of copyright, rule 6... please post a link to the site it was on ;)

Re: Prescriptions
 

As for paying Class 3 contributions to achieve the maximum state pension, according to the pension forecast I got this year, the difference in my state pension at age 65, if I give up work this year at age 50 and move to Spain, between continuing to work until I am 65, would amount to the princely sum of £9 per week. For 15 years' full time work? - I don't think I'll bother.

Re: Prescriptions
 

Whether Class 3 contributions are worth paying depends on your contribution record when you stop work. Most people have paid enough for a full pension by the time they are 60 and men get free credits (if they need them) between 60 and 65. Unfortunately you dont get these credits if you live outside the UK.

That means that any man retiring abroard before 60 is likely to have a shortfall and not receive a full pension at 65.

Each Class 3 contribution costs about £350 as an annual lump sum. This entitles you to a 2.5% increase in your pension which is worth, for a couple, £175 a year.

That seems like a pretty good deal to me.

Re: Prescriptions
 

Like you say most people have paid enough in to get a full pension by the time they are 60, what is this credit your talking about if you have already paid in enough ?

When i worked it out 42 years payments covered you for a full pension, ie 15 to 58, all above just goes to Gov perks kitty. :)

Re: Prescriptions
 

[QUOTE=jdr]Like you say most people have paid enough in to get a full pension by the time they are 60, what is this credit your talking about if you have already paid in enough ? QUOTE]

It only applies if you reach 60 and have too few contributions. If so, you get up to 5 years credited for free. As I said, it doesnt apply if you live outside the UK.

I retired at 50 and was 12 years light. I will have to pay 12 lump sums. If I was still in the UK it would only be 7. Another case of the UK government treating Ex-pats unfairly.

Re: Prescriptions
 

[QUOTE=Fred James]
Oh right ;)
Its about time all this different country rules = Europe got sorted out, but you notice it always goes in favour of the govs.

Re: Prescriptions
 

[QUOTE=Fred James]I was 59 1/2, but was retiring from the NHS after 40+ years service, so I qualified for my full NHS pension, minus a small amount for going before the age of 60. I will lose Government pension as I only have 41 years working, but the amount I would gain by making the extra contributions makes it not worthwhile as most would be swallowed up in tax. In any case my wife was already retired when we left, and she had received a couple of the winter fuel supplements, and so she continues to receive them here, so that's an extra £200. I won't get them as I wasn't in receipt of them in the UK.

Re: Prescriptions
 

[QUOTE=mikelincs]Ah but if you live together you would only get 100 each ;)
I left before I claimed so apparently was not entitled to it. I still filled in two sets of forms though, one each to different address`s and was told I was not going to get it from one, and that 200 quid had been paid in to my account by the other. I was told if you get it once then you get it each year after, but alas no :( that was the only payment and if I complain they might want it back.

Re: Prescriptions
 

[QUOTE=mikelincs]
For one year it probably isn't worth the hassle but at worst you could only lose 40% of the extra.

You wouldn't get the WFA on your own account anyway as it is one per household, not one per person.

Re: Prescriptions
 

[QUOTE=Fred James]It is one per person, but if a couple living at the same address you only get half the payment ;)

Easy to work out payments if your an accountant

Re: Prescriptions
 

[QUOTE=jdr] You just have to ensure that you don't share a mail box wiith another family. A couple here did, and joined forces with another couple, the result was only one payment to the ADDRESS.

Re: Prescriptions
 

I was speaking to the Dept of Work and Pensions today because I've given up work to live in Spain. I was going to make voluntary NI contributions because I'm short of the 40 odd years I need to make the full state pension.

She told me that there is a proposal going through at the moment to reduce the amount of years you need to put in to 30 years!!! Although I found this quite strange, she advised me not to make any contributions until early next year, because if I make them now I won't be able to claim them back if the 30 year thing goes through. She did reiterate that its only a proposal at the moment, but just a warning for those considering it or already doing it ... maybe speak to them yourselves on 0044 (0) 191 218 1999

Re: Prescriptions
 

I cant see them doing that, it would cost them a fortune in credits, be nice though ;)

Re: Prescriptions
 

I know, butl who knows ... the government works in strange ways ... but its what they are officially telling people now who want to pay vol contributions, and they say they are also aware it will cause some grief because of the people who are already paying these contributions.

Re: Prescriptions
 

Hi i saw your post and wonder what the tablets were your husband has as i am on atenanol 50mg,can these be got over in spain easily and if so what are the cost per packet of 28 or 56.

paris

Re: Prescriptions
 

I saw articles in the British press a few weeks ago about the proposal to reduce the number of years needed to 'earn' a full state pension to 30 years (for both men and women). I'll be delighted if it comes to pass as I've already got more than 30 years in, but can't understand how it will be affordable when the government has been telling us for years that we'll all have to work until we're 70 at least to be able to afford to retire.

Re: Prescriptions
 

There is also a huge number of people currently retired and getting a reduced pension due to a inadequate contributions record (predominately women).

If their pensions were not adjusted upwards to reflect the 30 year rule there would be riots!

Re: Prescriptions
 

Hi LynnR & Fred,

I bet the same article also said that the state pension age for men & women is to be equalised at 67. This will take place over a number of years in stages ending I think in 2020.

The equalisation also includes the proposal to reduce the number of qualifying years but that does not start until 2012 and I have not seen anywhere that it will be retrospective.

Fred my wife is one of those who gets reduced state pension because we did not react to some changes made in 1977 when she was out of the job market and we did not find out about. We appealed all the way to the commissioners but to no avail. I think if we went to Europe on Human Rights grounds we would win and it would benefit lots of others who lost out when "Home Responsibility Allowance" was introduced. However we have other things to occupy us at the moment but someone perhaps backed by say Age Concern should fight it all the way it would make a big difference for some.

Regards, :mad:

John.

Re: Prescriptions
 

Hi Again,

Had a dig round on the DWP website and found this quote;

Edit because of copyright.... please only post a link to the artical

There is also a very informative graph which shows that only 20% of women retiring in 2005 will draw a full state pension.

It does not seem to indicate to me that it will help those already in receipt of a pension.

Regards, ;)

John

Re: Prescriptions
 

Yes John you are right, the article did refer to the state pension age being equalised at 67 by 2020.

But if the 30 year qualification rule is fully implemented by 2012, I will still get my full state pension in 2016 when I am 65, even if I stop paying NI contributions this year at age 50 which I hope to do.

Won't it be nice to come out on the right side of one of these changes for once - I only just missed out on being able to claim my state pension at 60.

Re: Prescriptions
 

Most medications can be obtained easily, and are often surprisingly cheap. We were told that a months supply of thyroxine would cost about €3, I had to get some treatment for my kitten, and was given a prescription to be filled at the local farmacia. I was given a 500ml bottle of Septrin antibiotic, specifically for children, that cost me €1.94. :)

Re: Prescriptions
 

Lynn R, I don´t know if you are female, but, if you are and you just missed claiming your pension at 60 than you don´t have to wait until you are 65. It is being brought in gradually, something like born 5 October 1950 - pension at 61. Phone DW&P and find out.

Re: Prescriptions
 

Thanks Glynis, but as I was born in 1956 that's why I have to wait until I'm 65 - I come just outside the phased arrangements. One of the few occasions when I wish I was older than I am!