are there any benifits avaliable in spain?

[spanish_lad]

i am aware of the fact that a person has to of paid into the spanish system for at least 6 months previous to claiming any type of benifit...


but i mean...if you live in spain...can you still claim jobseekers allowence? child benifit? un-employment benifit?

if not, why not ? pensioners in spain / europe can still claim heating allowence, why cant we all live in spain and not work and just claim benifits the same way alot of people do in the uk ?

[silver]

UK have put in for a grant for Spain at the European government to cover future benefits for all UK residents in Spain...

[spanish_lad]

silver, does that mean that "we" (brits) will soon be able to claim benefits here in spain ?

[daneinspain]

over my dead body

[MiriamO]

Dane, despite your facility with the English language I don't think you have managed to master the English sense of humour. Especially that bit called "tongue in cheek"!

[silver]

"we" (brits) will soon be able to claim benefits here in spain

spanish_lad ..yeh sure...but before making your claim..get yourself a wife, and 3 kids...then we will talk benefits.. we are talking of 100€/month
daneinspain

over my dead body

well its not gonna happen tomorrow...so it probably will be..
MiriamO

the English sense of humour

So... it does still exist then...I was beginning to wonder

[silver]

MiriamO.. by the look of you you could probably opt for sickness benifit

[Raquel]

Hi I think it is a disgrace that British and Irish people can not claim benefits in times of need, I stress in times of need not lazy layabout spongers. Dane you won't understand this and probably argue that people should not live here if they can not afford to, but sometimes there is unforeseen circumstances, such as job loss or you become sick.

If a person has invested their life, family, money into this country why should they have return to the UK or Ireland just because they have run out of money? Think about families who run out of money here what do they do, they don't receive handouts , how do they feed their families? Many people here will not have been in that situation but some may have, like myself when we ran out of money and couldn't get jobs, and we had no food to feed ourselves with and I had to give my daughter tomato ketchup sandwiches for dinner (thankfully we got back on our feet). How many Spanish people does this happen to in the UK, none that's how many!
As I said on another thread many people come here with money and many leave without it.

The UK and Ireland opens their doors to foreigners and welcomes them with dole money, homes, and medical assistance what happens here, because it is certainly not reciprocated, we are left to starve and to die unless we can afford to pay.

I once watched a program my dad had recorded for me in Ireland about Spanish immigrants living in Galway, and they had front to admit on TV that the reason they were living in Ireland was because the "the dole is good"
I know of a Spanish man that is on his way to London at the moment and I know for a fact that he will not work and will sponge of the state as he is lazy and for the past three years that I have known him wouldn't get a job, whats going to change when he gets to London? and how many more of him are there sponging of the state? What happens when we get here?
pay out, pay out, pay out, run out of money, there's the door

The UK and Ireland should stop giving these immigrants benefits until it is reciprocated in their own countries!

[silver]

Raquel you should understand that "we" in Spain can only get the same help as the Spanish get... anyone coming from another country should first find out what the law and conditions of the country are. You have obviously had a hard time and want to blame Spain...rather than blaming yourself for not having the information on how things work in Spain.. prior to your move...

we are left to starve and to die unless we can afford to pay.

There are charitable organizations that would have helped.

The UK and Ireland should stop giving these immigrants benefits until it is reciprocated in their own countries!

That's something you can fight for when you get back.

[MiriamO]

Sorry, never having been in the position to need to investigate this, do you mean when you say that we are entitled to the same help that the Spanish get that we WOULD be entitled to any benefits? Do they have whatever the benefit is in the UK where you don't need to have made contributions?

[MiriamO]

Sorry, never having been in the position to need to investigate this, do you mean when you say that we are entitled to the same help that the Spanish get that we WOULD be entitled to any benefits? Do they have whatever the benefit is in the UK where you don't need to have made contributions?

[silver]

Do they have whatever the benefit is in the UK where you don't need to have made contributions?

NO..but I am sure that most Spanish would love to have the benefits in Spain that the English have in England.

[katy]

Ther is unemployment and sickness benefit here (if you have paid into the system, also maternity pay. Years ago some of my spanish cousins came to the UK. Registered at the unemployment office as seeking work, rented an apartment then off to the Social Security office and they got a weekly allowance plus all their rent paid. Theywere really impressed

[neilinalcaucin]

Did you say its a disgrace - that you have invested all your money into Spain!!
I would beg to differ and sorry for any offence but surely most of us (me included ) invest in a better quality of life and a hopeful uplift in property prices. I would say that these are the things we invest in and don't heavily contribute to Spain ( as you put it) unless your classing shopping habits, eating habits, utility usage including depleating the already minimal water supplies and possibly taking a job that a Spanish person could do investment?

[MiriamO]

As far as I'm concerned my "investment" in Spain is the same as any other person living here, Spanish or otherwise. I am paying taxes (of which there are many!), buying goods from Spanish businesses and so on.
On that basis I don't see why a British prson should not be entitled to any benefits that a Spanish person would be entitled. If there are no benefits available should you not have paid into the "system" then fair enough but otherwise I would expect to be treated the same way as any Spaniard going to the UK would, ie with no differentiation.
Taking "Spanish" jobs went out with our entry to the EU I'm afraid. As, for that matter, is the necessity for providing my reasons for being here. I have no qualms at all about taking employment here, or, for that matter, using the water. I'm careful with it but I don't feel guilty for using the reasonable amount I do use.

[neilinalcaucin]

Miriamo - my post was directed at Raquel but if you wish to get all temperamental about it, you feel free. It was directed at Raquel as she was suggesting that she should be entitled to UK benefits in Spain paid by the Spanish Government etc! I am astonished anyone feels this way.
Good luck quelling that temper

[MiriamO]

a) I am not in the least bit temperamental. Do you have a problem with someone who does not agree with everything you say?
b) I can't see any hint of losing my temper in that post - I am extremely placid and don't go in for histrionics. You were making a sweeping statement about what "most of us" are doing here and as far as I'm concerned you invited comment and/or disagreement from the whole forum.
c) I think Raquel was not suggesting she should get UK benefits, just that there could be some benefits available in Spain for people who genuinely are, in the short term, in need. I also suspect she meant ANY person, Spanish or otherwise.

[neilinalcaucin]

i suspect most ex pats tax investment in spain is less than that of the Spanish for starters never mind the investment. anyway I prefer not to be drawn into an argument over it , perhaps i read Raquels comments regarding her dissaproving of the Spanish benefits system more negatively than they were intended maybe she really is concerned for the welfare of all Spanish and does believe everyone deserves a better level of support when they cannot provide for themselves and perhaps she is not bitter about the Spanish who moved to Ireland for the benefit breaks of the UK

all good fun any how

[laswalkirias]

I think that reading through these posts on benefits that most are missing thepoint on benefit entitlement in Spain, Any criticism should be directed at the uk governments folly of benefits for all!! Just because hand outs are given to foreign residents in Britaib does not mean that Spain should follow the UKs lead in making the country the laughing stock of Europe with its stupid policy of doling out money to all and sundry!!!
I think Spain has stood up against this ridicolous state of affairs and should be applauded for its common sense in resisting the dependency culture and that is one of the reasons I want to leave the UK!!!
Do not expect another nation to pay for your folly. and if you cant afford to support yourself in Spain do not insult the many hardworking Spanish and English workers by asking them to support you.. its simple,,,, dont go!!
Yes there is a lot of unfair things going on in Spain at the moment but this is Spain we are talking about ,not the UK,Taje it or leave itNOW

[silver]

laswalkirias...thats a good point