UKinSpain

UK Consular Minister Jeremy Browne meets British residents in Spain and urges them to get the most out of living in Spain...

http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/en/news/...s&id=615459482

Follow the link above for the full story.

bxpuser24710519

If the link is like 'All the info I will need to deal with a death abroad pack' then I won't bother reading it ! It was no help at all in 2009. Can't say my dealings on the phone with Malaga inspired any faith in their ability to help either, they contradicted the info given previously by them.

jackytoo

Jeremy Browne said:

Registering on the Padrón gives you access to some benefits and social care, and can mean significant savings on certain community charges and inheritance tax. Unfortunately, if you don’t register, you can’t expect the Spanish authorities to provide social services or other help when you may need it in the future’, said Mr Browne.

I wonder if the Consulate expanded on what these benefits and social care services are Myself and a few friends helped an ill (housebound) and destitute widow for about 6 months until she was able to return to the UK. 2 friends are Spanish and they didn't know of any help availabe either!

He also went on to say the foreigners in the UK don't expect Doctors and the Police to speak their language....True, they just expect to be provided with a costly translator to accompany them

bxpuser24710519

From what I have read it is basic info and not nearly indepth enough, You could find it all on the various forums.

bobd22

He also went on to say the foreigners in the UK don't expect Doctors and the Police to speak their language....True, they just expect to be provided with a costly translator to accompany them

Yes foreigners in Britain do get the benefit of a translator certainly when reporting incidents to the police either by phone or in person at a station. As you say this must be at quite a cost, being involved in this system one time the interprator used over a phone (if I remember correctly for an east european) was in fact working from somewhere in America!! However if you stopped a cop in the street for a general question you would not get this unless you were lucky enough to speak with one who spoke some of your language. Off course if you were being formally interviewed then one would be provided.

Funny enough flew back from Spain yesterday with easy jet and on the plane was quite a large contingent of Spanish school kids on a trip, as most kids are they were excited. You tell when the plane took off for many it must have been a first flight. The female flight attendant by her facial expressions and general manner made it clear she was not happy at having this group of Spanish kids onboard and although quite bossy with them made no attempt with her instructions to speak their language or use body language to help other than the time honoured british speak louder they will understand in the end! Must have been too difficult to speak with their teacher who spoke perfect english and ask him to explain to them that bags go fully under the seat blinds fully open etc, but off course what a cheek spanish people actually using a uk plane to fly from Spain to UK who would have thought that could happen.
Strange aslo that the good old EEC with all it's rules has missed the fact that we could do with a common language, we Brits I feel tend to think we have this English which everyone can and should be able to speak.

Back to the main point I do think it is to our credit that when dealing with official bodies we in the UK do provide the translation service and if it doesen't then the EEC should ensure that every other EEC country does the same at least for persons from within the EEC.

jackytoo

The interpreters in the UK were paid £80 ph to accompany someone to the Doctor. That is some years ago. There is a good service at the CDS hospital but the translator are not paid , just volunteers. My OH used to do it.

To be fair to Easyjet they employ a lot of spanish cabin staff too. Most times I have flown with them at least a third of the passengers were spanish.

Domino

Where I come from most have their own doctors, until retirement my doctor was renowned locally for providing ritual circumcision.
Local council spend a fortune on translation and leaflets in 14 different languages - sometimes hard to find one in English
Police have training courses for dealing with incomers from various backgrounds
There is also a local Racial Equality organisation who for years have been providing leaflets telling incomers what they are entitled to and where to go to get it along with access to translators

What with the EU and Human Rights legislation it is their right and yes they do expect to be provided with help.