UK Benefits in Spain

[scouselover]

Tony if you and your wife are on incapacity benefit and they(DSS)agree to continue to pay it over here then you apply for form E121 and both you and your wife will qualify for all your health cover here. Again, contact Newcastle.

[quizmaster]

[Laurie Anderson]

Hey Quizmaster, nothing to do with this subject but how about you set us a little quiz from time to time, could be fun, if you have the time.

[tonytee]

[tonytee]

Thanks scouselover, that is helpful, and quizmaster - now I am getting somewhere! I do not wish to take any country, England or Spain, for a ride, I just want tyo take advantage of the EU, and live where my life can be more enjoyable. After all, with me not able to work, there is a place for someone else, possibly from Spain, to work in my place in the UK! That was a joke, albeit very true!
My wife is very concerned that, if we move to Spain, I will lose the medical support that I get in the UK. My doctor's have told me that, because of the 'reciprocal agreement', I should get in Spain excatly what I get in the UK. Hence my original question.
Thanks very much for all your helpful suggestions.
Tony

[scouselover]

Tony dont know if you are aware, it can get really, really cold here in winter time, especially indoors. The houses are really built for warm climates and not to keep cold out. Yes the warm weather most of the year is fantastic but its not always like that. Be aware of the orientation of your house when you buy, avoid north facing unless you have a good south facing terrace to sit in during the winter. I speak from experience on this one! Take a compass with you when viewing! In your case I would suggest you buy in an established area with a medical centre nearby. Remember, there are agents here who will say anything to get you to buy including telling you that this or that urbanisation will be finished with all amenities. Friends of mine bought in such a place and 2 years later there is nothing, zilch, zero in the way of services. They have to get the car out for everything, even just a pint of milk. (Or a litre here!!) Yes an area may well get finished with all facilites but when?
Good luck in whatever you decide to do, hope it goes well for you.

[tonytee]

scouselover, where do you live? We have holiday'd in Benidorm throughout January/early February, and the temperatures only dropped to 15c. I do realise that the closer to the mountains we go, the colder it will get, which is why we are favouring coastline areas. This is very important for both Pam and I, as the cold affects us both very severely. Are you saying that we were just lucky, or does the temperature regualarly drop below 15c? I have to admit, we did think our only problem was going to be how we coped with the extremely high temperatures of July/August! Good tip re compass though, thanks.
As for developments not being completed, that is a very big consideration, and, if you know of any developers/builders that are best avoided I will be very obliged for their details.
Regards
Tony

[Laurie Anderson]

Scouselover is right. I have lived here in Torrevieja for 4 years and have never felt as cold (indoors) before. No fitted carpet, no central heating, a house that is designed for keeping cool in the summer. We spend most of the winter huddled round a gas fire and have to have 2 duvets on the bed.

[scouselover]

Hi Tony, I live virtually on the coast at the south of the Costa Blanca. I dont live on an urbanisation, I have Spanish neighbours as well as others of different nationalities and all the facilities I would need or want within walking distance.
You must have been lucky in Benidorm, I believe they have a micro climate as they have protection from the surrounding mountains. Down here its flatter and last winter the night time temps sometimes were well down in single figures. You need good heating and warm clothes and bring an electric blanket with you. (I will be on the lookout for one in the next few weeks) Avoid open plan houses if you can, they are great for the summer but in the winter all the heat rises up the stairs. Even if you go for a flat or a bungalow, its much better to have a living room with a door which can be closed over so that you can keep all your precious heat in there. All that aside, I would far rather be here than back there. Council tax charges alone frighten the wits out of me and the winter is relatively short! Dont let the thought of a cold winter put you off, the pros far outweigh the cons, (for me personally anyway) generally the sun shines most days in the winter and thats what we come here for.
If I can help further get back to me. Best regards.

[macg]

What others have said about the climate and the nature of the design and construction ofhouses in this part of the world is true. There are resale houses which have central heating installed with radiators etc . Many of the new builds on popular urbanisations seem to be designed for holiday living ignoring the fact that it can get cold overnight in the winter.
Anyone who comes here with pre-existing conditions such as sore joints, arthritis etc. will feel some amelioration of the condition but the pain will still be there and the pain killers will still be required and the arthritic joints will not go away.
For a better winter climate without the cold nights Tenerife is more suitable but of course there are disadvantages in living on an island, cost of living being higher than in peninsular Spain.

[quizmaster]

Tony check EVERYTHING out first, make sure you will be happy here because it is a big step. Get some books on the subject as well as the good advice you are getting here. And yes I might try a quiz now and again.

Richard

[Magenta]

Quizmaster,

We are amazed that you receive DLA whilst living in Spain as this is a benefit which is only payable to UK residents, how have you managed to do this?

[ItsSpainNotUK]

We went to Benidorm a few years ago for a few days in November and they got snow. I remember walking around their weekly market and thought I am going home. We went to Valencia last February and the weather was not very good although it was OK when we left Playa Flamenca. Ended up going back the next day to a warmer climate. Just bad luck I guess.
When you go out for a meal in Spain in the winter some restaurants do not have any heating so you sit with your coat on !.

Regards

John

[tonytee]

We haved checked almost every avenue we could think of, quizmaster. We even went on an inspection tour two years ago, and put a deposit down on a house in Quesada! It was only when we got home that Pam started to worry about the health side - getting the right help. I was quite a bit worse then, and needed much more attention from doctors, now I am on a drugs regime, and only need prescriptions. The doctors can't do any more for me - it is just a case of hoping it all goes away! When I holiday in Spain (usually Majorca in summer, Benidorm in winter - at least until the capital almost disappeared!) I feel much better, and so does Pam. It is true, the evenings in January were very cold! Is it not possible to specify heating and air conditioning when buying a house? How much does central heating cost? Can't be too expensive to run, you only need it for about 2 months!
Pam and I started looking at Spain years ago, before I got ill, so we have done a lot of background research, albeit before I needed to look at the medical back-up side.
Does anyone live in Finestrat? The area of Cala Finestrat would be perfect, if it were not for the Benidorm style high rise buildings going up everywhere! But what about the developments around the village of Finestrat? How far inland is it?
Also does anyone live in the Quesada urbanisation, near the lakes? I just wondered what it would have been like if we had gone ahead at the time!
Tony

[ItsSpainNotUK]

On the health subject, the Torrevieja climate has been voted one of the healthiest in Europe by the World Health Organisation due mainly to a microclimate created by two large salt lakes in the area. When combined with the constant sunshine the salt is taken into the air which has the effect of drying out the atmosphere. The makes for a very healthy climate and beneficial effect on sufferers from arthritis is unbelievable.

That says it all.

Regards

John