Domino

sarcasm doesn't become you dear.

our local town hall "hosts" a jobsearch terminal for jobseekers and they are required to log on so many times a week to do a jobsearch - but then if aren't in that situation you probably don't know everything

and presumably if I was to risk saying how many people travel out of the village into the big city to work, the way buses are standing room only for most of the journey out and back I would be told it was all a figment of my imagination because people in Spain just Do Not travel to get to work.

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Pocaloca

Not sure where you live, but all the ayuntamientos I know of provide subsidised social clubs, Christmas and feria dinners etc, for the elderly, as well as lots of other concessions, trips out etc. They enjoy the free concerts too, especially the flamenco ones and the street theatre.

Job seekers use the internet not just to look for work, but for online learning especially languages which many see as their only way out. In our nearest town, the council provides internet access for €7 a month. It's not very fast but at least its affordable.

steviedeluxe

Domino

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jackytoo

My friend lost her job in Marbella a couple of years ago, been married to a spaniard for 27 years. When she went to register at the jobcentre she was told to do the jobsearch thing. The system wouldn't take her NIE. When she informed them she got the spanish shrug She is ok now as she got a permanent contract with M&S Marbella. They seem to have employed a lot of bi-lingual Brits. Not sure how a job search terminal would work anyway. with 35% unemployment in Andalucia they could just put them on a blackboard

rugbymatt

I wouldn't worry, I think he's been at the cooking sherry.

me me

The Marie Antoinette attitude still existes on BE.

I know lots of pensioners who go for subsidised meals, but that does not keep them warm in their own cold draugty homes.

And in Galicia the pensioners would not thank you for a flamenco show, ask Cman it is not a northern thing.

They are often referred to as Gitanadas.

cricketman

My father in-law is a huge flamenco fan and used to organise for all the stars of the 70s and 80s to come and play in Oviedo - flamenco is pretty exotic here though, it is almost seen as something foreign

The council do organise trips for the elderly though, to go to Benidorm and the like at subsidised rates

The poor in Spain get very little money from the government, but as long as they are in the right groups and associations then they get lots of social things for free or very cheap. I know that only helps so far, but thats the way it is. La Cruz Roja, Caritas and many other charities do so much good work that the government should be doing

I know that elderly people are respected and show a lot of respect for themselves in Spain. They are always very elegantly dressed, nevermind how much money they may have

jackytoo

You haven't seen all the pensioners who come to the Tiempo Libre in Las Chapas. They are all about 4 foot 11 and anything but elegant. All this stuff about pensioners and fiesta dinners etc sounds a bit patronising to me

me me

I totally agree, and the thought of having to go cap in hand to the church rolls off the tongue so easily, but in reality the ones that do ask for free handouts are usually mortified at having to do so.

cricketman

You are forgetting to mention that most pensioners have a state pension, which compares pretty well to the UK. There may be a few cases when that hasnt happened, but there are few, and in these cases the vast majority will have family support.

The bigger problem is with younger people who are out of work and dont have family support, particularly the many immigrants who's families are miles away. Unemployment is at 22% among Spaniards and 35% among immigrant groups

me me

No I had not forgotten about pensioners getting a pension, but some are on very low ones, or they would not be considered for help from any charity and would not seek it.

I must point out though, you seemed to have changed a lot, now being an expert on the have nots, because if I remember rightly, about a year ago, you did not know of anyone who was struggling or unemployed, as they all had good uni degrees, and you used to post about it on a regular basis.

cricketman

I've been watching TV and reading the newspapers

And also discussing the topic with friends over here

Nobody I know in Spain (who I've discussed this with) can believe that there really are millions of families with zero income. They all say that they will be earning something on the black economy. Otherwise there would be people starving - and they are not (it seems)

me me

Or they could be the ones rooting through the bins for something to eat.

And there are plenty of families on zero income.

http://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/201...-ingresos.html

http://www.levante-emv.com/economia/...so/948280.html

http://acampadahuesca.blogspot.com.e...amente-en.html
Obviously not the same newspapers as me.

Although I admit that some of the reports are over a year old, and as we know that over the last year things in Spain have improved a lot (NOT)due to the cuts and whatever.

cricketman

There are plenty of people on zero official income

That is a key difference!