Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

Ah ha - the government's on your case!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12081634

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

First things first, let them deal with all the benefit fraudsters in Westminster...

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

Good too many people ripping of the UK benefit system hence the state we are in

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

Yes it's exactly this that makes me wonder whether we should support the fraudsters or turn them in.

It looks like the only difference is that those in Westminster can get away with lots more out of the kitty, and legally if they know the loopholes, and they obviously do, and some have unfortunately gone even further.:frown:

But on the other hand......

I have often wondered why all the expats that have gone back to the Uk with the recession biting, have gone back if they can't afford to manage in Spain, it's far more expensive there, unless of course they will be going back to claim benefits.:unsure:

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

No the "state we are in" was caused by greedy bankers

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

:thumbup:

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

Does anyone know about the tax implications (in Spain) of having an unemployed partner. My OH has been unemployed here for a year now. I've been autonomo here for 9 months.
We're struggling frankly. Apparently I can put him down as a dependant when I hand in my annual accounts in Jan. But what does that do for us? Do I get any tax breaks for this?

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

People that have gone back to the UK, have had no choice, they stuck it out for as long as they could. and really most should have gone back along time before they did. There familys will have come to there aid in alot of cases, and then theres the goverment help if all else fails.

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

So Stevie boy, your whiter than white I take it.

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

Ha, i can honestly say i've never considered claiming benefits whilst living in another country! I suppose that shows a lack of imagination?

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

Dave in Sopain has it right. The shit we are in is that caused by the grasping bastards in the uS flogging ninja mortgages.

However, blaming a few benefit scroungers is so much easier than ever doing anything effective, eh?

Plus it distracts from the real problem.

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

yes it would annoy me if claimants were living in Spain and my tax is keeping them.
In saying this I dont find Spain in these days cheap to live , In fact I find it cheaper in UK
Clothes , shoes food all less expensive I find Spain a rip off for Brits:D

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

I don't find it so. Some things are more expensive, but others such as basic groceries, internet, clothes, furniture, second-hand cars etc are MUCH cheaper.

And the customer service is better.

As regards Benefit fraudsters, it is important to remember that some UK Benefits can be claimed quite legitimately in Spain.

As for the Westminster fraudsters...I personally don't think that their wrongdoings are any justification for anyone else to commit a wrongdoing!

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

I agree, but the utility bills and council tax and water rates are much cheaper in Spain don't you think?

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

True, but overall I think it's swings and roundabouts.

I don't know the official inflation figures for what they're worth anyway, but it does appear to me that prices have been shooting up much faster in Spain than in the UK, and appear to be still doing so.

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

I have been back and fore both countries although utilities are cheaper I have noticed them creeping up Electric for eg

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

Greedy bankers are still having bonuses for what ????????
Government fraudsters should be Jailed as U or I would for the same crime
I still consider it cheaper to live in UK for every day commodities yes at the moment taxes are cheaper but I dont think they will be for long

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

That's not my point. Mine was that they should deal with the rot in Westminster first.

Fail to do that and you lose all moral authority.

As tho they had any to start with...

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

sounds like getting onto a spain Vs UK cost thing. yes spain is getting pricey no dought about it. Im looking forward to buying a nice pad here in spain for 30k that was 300 in the boom, we can all dream.

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

True, but to be fair great strides have recently been made in that direction.
They should now set their sights on the Brussels gravy train,.... a tad more difficult to deal with methinks.

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

Yep, they have been hanging a couple out to dry, but it isn't nearly enough. Caesar's wife, and all that.

Jesus, even Brown and Cameron scuttled to pay stuff back, and that's just scandalous.

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

The British public will be impressed with their government chasing benefit cheats abroad; nobody likes the expats cheating the weather by moving to the sun in the first place, and if they’re doing it on fraudulent benefit claims the Mail and Sun debaters really erupt with fury. In a few cases, maybe they should, but whether you’re cheating the system in Bradford or the Costa del Sol, what’s the difference?

At the height of the timeshare scandal I went on holiday to Tenerife. There were timeshare touts every few yards, but the only person in our hotel who bought one was an unemployed man from Liverpool. I think he was working on the side as a comedian.

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

This is great news, I wonder how many will get caught in reality and if they do I wonder how many will leave Spain? Personally I thing benefit fraud is despicable, the bankers et all will always do what they will, when normal people screw hard working folk out of taxes like benefit slime then it somehow feels more hurtful. I hope this ends quite a few freeloading holidays and lets hope the gov be brave and stop any payments at all. Scum, the lot of them.

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

It is calculated that only 1 per cent of claimants are scamming and for the Government to recover the lost money will cost them a lot more than they are losing.

Jim

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

There are loads of frauds in this country that are costing the tax payer a small fortune like the 17 billion paid out from the public purse in wages when off work for no reason, or the guy that has took early retirement due to having a bad back but is quite capable of swinging a golf club in spain. Is there any difference between them let me know. Sorry if this offends

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

I'm wondering though why some people get so worked up about benefit fraud, yet seem to be at peace with the fact that so many Brits come over here and defraud the Spanish government out of funds by not registering their presence here, not making tax returns, keeping cars on Uk plates untaxed etc, and then of course are quite happy to go back to the UK to take advantage of the NHS even when they are not entitled to it any more :);)

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

Too right :thumbup:

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

Perhaps they feel that they are entitled, at least if not more so, than the rest of the EU who seem to receive full NHS facilities having paid Zip into it.

Jim

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

How do you mean BJ? You move to France for instance and you have to pay a top up for health care iirc.

Are you under the impression that ANYONE who trys to get to the UK is immediately entitled to full NHS cover?

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

Having made several trips to A&E and other NHS hospital departments this year with a family member I have never seen anyone being asked to produce proof that they were entitled to healthcare and were treated.

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

Yes I think thats the case Just reqister with a DR:lol:

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

It's a great institution, the NHS, but I do wonder if it is ultimately sustainable. Mention has been made of foreigners accessing the NHS without having paid into the system. But any British child gets free health care, and they haven't paid a penny yet. Also, I suspect more than a few expats (not just from Spain...) are thinking of heading back to the UK when age issues arise. Ok, some of them have paid a good 30-40 years into the system already, but many may not - they may have been working abroad or running their own business. Just the possession of a UK passport will get them free treatment. I know some relatives who came back from south Africa to the UK when the violent street crime started there - ok a couple of them were of working age and able to contribute, but others were already retired. At what point do you start charging?

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

The health service in Spain guarentees healthcare for every resident.

You only have to pay if you are under pensionable age and are not paying social security payments.

If this is the case and you are too poor to contribute to the healthcare system than you can say you are destitute (you will need to prove it) so you can claim free healthcare.

The only difference between this one and the NHS is that in Spain you must carry a card that proves you are contributing to the system or are too poor to do so.

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

Agree, but we always get these sort of arguments bandied about, every smoking thread has someone telling us cars pollute etc. Nothing to do with the original thread, but it always happens.:)

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

And just about to go up nearly another 10% for electricity and nearly 4% for gas.
http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/9140...no/subida/luz/

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

Unit for unit electricity has been more expensive in Spain over the last few years.

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

At least they will be spending their ill gotten gains in UK if from Bradford, and not lining the Spanish coffers if on the CDS. A big difference. Even if they are buying booze, fags etc, local UK businesses will be benefitting.

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

I wonder how much a care home place costs in Spain?
The Times had an article yesterday on the increasing costs in the UK - it's a massive timebomb waiting to blow up, as the population ages...
Apparently it costs £824 a week to keep a resident in a council-run care home. It costs £445 per week to send a resident to a private care home...

No wonder they try and force people to sell their homes if they go into care. Those figures quickly run up into many 1000s. No way they can pay for that from our council tax or income tax.:frown:

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

Absoutely 100% with you... it makes my blood boil with all the "tips" we have gotten from expats here about how to basically defraud the Spanish system and seem to look at us like we're dimwits when we admit to paying into the system here, using the healthcare available to us here, registering our campervan here.

Re: Are you a benefit fraud.. and living in Spain?
 

That's because it's a residence-based system ... if you live there, you're treated in A&E. If you're non-resident and aren't registered in the system you can't get all the benefits (although many many expats still are registered, albeit illegally).