Jontee

So, if I work in UK for a while once back there, then apply for my Spanish pension through UK, that will comply with the guidance to make the application to "the relevant authority in the country where you last worked"?? I wonder.

If not, I cannot see how once living in UK it can be easy to make an application through the Spanish SS. I imagine that would be a minefield of problems especially with the language. I will make enquiries here before leaving, but I expect the SS will not be willing to do much until I am within a few months of Spanish retirement age.

whitelinen

Spanish friend showed me a document which he says he gets regularly showing all his SS contributions over the years and one column which could be his pension pot.

In ten years I have never had such a document.

Also was wondering if there is a pension forcast web site or whatever?

Does anyone know what the current retirement age is for men and women in Spain?

Jontee

This is the Seguridad Social website in English for Pensions. May help you, may not. I always find I can follow through so far and inevitably I end up with a page that is not available in English. Still, at least most of it is, which is a vast improvement on the way it was a couple of years ago.
http://www.seg-social.es/Internet_6/...cion/index.htm

petew

Rather than start a new thread I thought it might be better to resurrect this one. My original post was in the hope of hearing from someone who is actually being paid a spanish pension and if so for how many years they worked in Spain?

chrisjolly

Hi Pete, I got all the forms from our local SS office and with the help of a Spanish friend who also did not understand all the questions I filled out the forms. I did not have all the paperwork from all my emplyoyment in Spain which you have to include when you apply. I phoned the DWP in England and they were so helpful that I just applied through them and so I have given up on all my Spanish contributions. They could probably use them right now.

Jontee

So Chris are you now receiving the pension? I want to apply in a couple of years and am worrying about it already. I hope to be in UK at the time so it's good to know DWP will help. Regarding paperwork, all I will have is my record of Autonomo contributions for 9+ years, what did you need to supply?

petew

I am surprised that DWP accepted your application. When my wife wanted to apply for her UK pension they were adamant that - because the last place she had worked was in Spain - she had to apply via the INSS.

petew

Still not heard from anyone who is actually receiving a Spanish pension. I wonder if this maybe one of those areas where Spain is simply ignoring EU law. I will find out soon because my wife's spanish pension should start in December. They have her spanish bank account etc details from her application submitted in Spain. If it doesn't start obviously we will follow it up. We will probably go back to the Gestor who helped with her application.

Interestingly, we put her UK Santander account for payment of her UK pension but the INSS refused to accept that, saying it had to be a spanish bank. We had to phone the DWP (once they had received the application from Spain) because she wanted her UK pension paid into her UK bank account.

cricketman

I once helped a guy apply for this pension at the Spanish office. It was pretty easy, and he had worked in 5 countries including the US. You have to apply for your pension when you get to the pensionable age, at the social security office, they won't just start paying it. You will have to fill in a number of forms

Btw, in what areas are Spain ignoring EU law?

petew

We thought the necessary forms had already been filled in but from what you say it seems we were wrong. We will go back to our original gestor. As I said in my earlier post, our tax assessor was firmly of the opinion that my wife would not get any spanish pension.

Re your last point I don't want to go down that road!

Fred James

I don't have personal experience of this but as I said in an earlier post a friend has a Spanish pension paid after only 3 years work in Spain. That is paid in addition to a UK and Italian pension.

petew

Thanks - that reflects the situation as I thought I understood it - the seeds of doubt were planted when we mentioned it to our assessor when we were doing our tax this year. We didn't have time to prolong the conversation - I must have another word with him about it.

julie22

My OH is in a similar position, having worked many years ago in Spain, and now retired here. He has received confirmation from DWP on his UK State pension which will commence next month.

When he went to the Social Security office here in Spain, they confirmed that they had details of his employment here in Spain (over 30 years ago) and he would receive a 'small' Spanish pension. They could not confirm how much the pension would be but gave him forms to complete and told him he has to return on the day of his 65th birthday!!!!

He now has only 3 weeks to wait to find out how much, if any, pension he will receive.

scrubbedexpat095

I get a Spanish pension and I worked 19 years in Spain. Having read your latest posts I'm not sure what info you are actually looking for :-(

If your wife worked in Spain yes she will indeed get a Spanish pension,how much will depends on what level her cotisations were

I'm not sure how many levels there are but the maximum Spanish pension is approx 2,490 € for 40 years contributions at the highest level

Jontee

Mfh - did you apply for your spanish pension whilst in Spain, or from UK through DWP? Whichever way, was it straightforward? I can apply for mine in just over 2 years (with just over 9 years contributions) but I will be back in UK then so wonder if there is anything I should do about it before I move back that would help.