scampicat

You are allowed to continue to claim Disability Benefit from the UK in Spain.

How do you know what his disability is? It might be such that his disability does not stop him from climbing ladders.

My son's girlfriend gets Disability Allowance (in the UK) for her condition - to look at her you would not think she had a disability, and she also works 30 hours a week (all allowed).

Not all disabilities are visible.

bobd22

Moot point that what constitutes a disability? as for the guy using ladders etc surely if he is reported and investigated then found to still be living within his disabilty nothing lost. Too many people in the UK are claiming and fiddling what they are not entitled to which goes a long way to explin the situation we're in.

scampicat

I agree with you, I'm just saying do not assume he does not have a disability just because he is climbing a ladder!

bil

Why dob him in? I doubt he is fiddling a fraction of the average MP.

In my book you are only a criminal if you are fiddling more than an MP.

twistedmelon

Why haven't you reported them
Maybe this is more sour grapes if he is annoying you.
You must be sure of your facts if you do report them as it could cause a lot of hardship to a possibly innocent person.

twistedmelon

With regard to the OP question, I think undoubtedly people would stay here if the benefit system here was better.
However the Spanish economy in the past was to weak to support a decent welfare state and still is to a certain extent.
The setting up of the welfare state in the UK was a miracle of social justice and it was and still is the envy of the world and as such it's difficult to draw comparisons. It's not only Spain that is behind.

agoreira

And at some point, a doctor or specialist would have had to examine him to ensure he could receive the allowance. To do that, he would need to be genuinely ill, or a bl00dy good actor, you decide! Friend and neighbour of mine should have easily qualified, I'd have thought, but no, refused, so no money.

scampicat

Agreed. My husband claims Incapacity Benefit and last year had to have a medical with a DWP-approved Doctor in Marbella. It took nearly two hours! Glad to say they decided he is still unfit for work and allowed him to continue to receive the IB.

Madridboy

You're happy that your OH is ill?

JLFS

I dont think it was meant like that, but very funny.......

HBG

I know of benefit scroungers living here as well as unfortunate Brits who are suffering because the Spanish system doesn’t seem to allow them the benefits they deserve.

Quite often, we expats don’t realise what is available, it’s not advertised like back home.

Language is the problem, mostly, in the UK claimants have an automatic right to an interpreter, if you want one here, it will cost you at least 30 Euros an hour, and if you’re skint, it’s not an option.

scampicat

No of course I am not glad he is ill! I meant I was glad that the stress of worrying whether or not his Benefit was going to be stopped was over and done with for him.

Lushdaddy

You could say that about anywhere in the world though?
You could ask. Do you think that if British people could go to any country they thought was nice and get benefits would they go?
Of course they would.
People go to the UK to claim benefits. Not the other way round.

I don't know why you think it is easy to claim benefits in the UK. Where have you got this impression? It is easier if you are a foriegn person as everything that is available is explained to you via interpreter. If you are British you have pretty much got to guess your way through it and get turned down for practically everything. (In my experience should I say).
The Uk isn't a lost cause by any means but if you look at how the country is functioning at the minute and all the things that are going on there it doesn't exactly fill you with confidence.

nicola15

hi guys,
lushdaddy is totally bang on!!!
Dont no where ppl get the impression that it is easy to JUST claim benefits in u.k, we speak from 1st hand experience.
Cannot agree with lushdaddy any more.
Would you stay in the u.k if you could not get any of the beneifits??????????

scampicat

If you pass the Habitual Residency Test and don't have too much income, loads of savings or assets as in a second home, (and sometimes even if you have), you will be entitled to some UK Benefits.

I know a young couple who have returned to the UK and have claimed Jobseekers' Allowance and Child Benefit with no trouble whatsoever.

Also a couple over 60 who have had no trouble claiming Pension Credit (means-tested addition to State Pension).

Some Benefits depend on residency and/or means-testing. Others depend upon NI Contributions and if you haven't been paying them then you won't be entitled to these benefits.

Also, there is help for British Citizens to find their way around the Benefits system. The Benefits Advisors at the CAB are free and very knowledgeable.

As to whether people would stay without the Benefits, I personally would rather be broke in a system I understood rather than one which is, literally, foreign to me. You can't live on sun, sea and sangria.