cricketman

And a communication issue. Three of four times I've had to go and help people I barely know at the ayuntamiento and health centre to do pretty basic things which they swore were impossible.

I say 2 sentances, the nice (usually) lady, hands me a form, and we go home happy!

Last time the person I helped kept being told to go to the social security office to renew their SS card, and the person in SS said they werent allowed one. The person I was helping wasnt capable of explaining at the healthcentre that they were no longer entitled to a SS card and what they actually needed was the forms to apply for free healthcare

haydngj

So it's just for childish entertainment and nothing else sorry my mistake

Fred James

I agree entirely.

Any more of these personal jibes will get deleted.

Please keep to the original topic (or at least close to it)

whitelinen

I dont need to provide links because I know from first hand experience with British friends and Spanish friends and in one case where one of each nationality worked in the same business and the Spanish one didnt get his card stopped but the English one did, they both did their baja at the same time in the same office!

What I dont understand is why you and LW cannot provide a link to the official page stating what the criteria is for a non-Spaniard claiming these benefits in Spain. Also I dont understand why DWP doesnt either.

Lynn R

Can I just point out that the salaries of 'union bosses' are not funded by the taxpayer, they are paid out of members' subscriptions. Pretty nearly all trade union general secretaries are now elected on a regular basis (certainly not a job for life) in ballots in which every member gets a vote, and their salaries are public knowledge. If the members feel they are not getting value for money, they will be voted out of office, and the level of salary can also be varied either by a committee of elected members, or by an annual conference resolution, depending on the individual union's constitution. I have sat through enough debates on these issues, including proposals to link salaries to the average member's salary.

cricketman

I did earlier! It clearly said that you can claim healthcare without having a job or being self-employed!

Your social security card may still be valied after ceasing self-employment IF you had built up social security payments in previous employment.

Being Spanish or not has nothing to do with it

whitelinen

I dont know any Brit who fits that description. All have been self employed since day one, none were directly employed before in Spain.

Therefore there is positive discrimination against non-Spanish self employed.

cricketman

Now you kind-of know one, me!

And the only evidence I have for this descrimination is you and Rotor, who I do not believe

LittleWeed

I agree that this difference in treatment may well happen practice and that there can be all kinds of reasons for this. I´m simply saying that these benefits are available to Spaniards and foreigners alike and also trying to give a bit of info which I hoped might be useful.

Here is link to an article which describes how the system works for unemployed people;

http://emptydeckchair.com/blog/?p=10

The eligibility of people on low incomes to health care is covered here;

http://www.mtin.es/es/Guia/leyes/RD108889.html

Article 1 is the relevant bit.

There no downloadable form readily available since the idea is that the applicant must make the application in conjunction with the person administering health cards at the local health centre.

Finally, since you are in Valencia, here is a link to the regional Government law which, among other things, indefinitely extends the health cover of anyone "en baja" from any of the SS regimes (including autonomos);

http://noticias.juridicas.com/base_d...a-l6-2008.html

Article 9 is the relevant part.

Similar laws have been passed in some of other regions.

Since there is, officially at least, no discrimination at national level between Spaniards and foreigners, it follows that there are no specific criteria for non-Spaniards and hence a lack of official web pages.

I hope this helps to clarify what is a horribly complicated system.

Bomber Harris

Ok,

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en...=&oq=&gs_rfai=

I can’t see any of the sites that you say you found using the search term transferable benefits. Is my eyesight is failing and can I claim benefits for it?

moving shortly

Unfortunately Bil if you were in receipt of SRP when you applied for Carers Allowance you would be turned down, as both are taxable benefits so you are only entitled to one. Your mother or if not capable you should have applied for Attendance Allowance (for the 65's and over) there are two levels of payment for this benefit and it is meant for the person in receipt to pay for their own care if they are living in their own home. They would not be eligible for this payment however if they were living in a nursing home.

bil

What's an SRP?

moving shortly

Scampi
Did you realise that alongside the changes with Incapacity Benefit to ESA that this government intend to look at ALL in receipt of DLA to include those who have indefinite awards? I believe this will start in the next year or two. Did you also realise that those who lose their IB in the change over to ESA may well have/have had their DLA cancelled and be looked at straight away? This is due to the ATOS assessments. Also 40% of those who were refused ESA on appeal are reinstated?

What a total waste of taxpayers money ATOS are. I am not sure if the general public realises that the last government have made millionaires out of the owners of ATOS this government continues to line the pockets of this organisation as well.

I apologise in advance to the site managers if I am not allowed to mention company names.

moving shortly

Sorry Bil SRP=State Retirement Pension

bil

She was, but we did get an allowance in the end.