Terry has put together this brief guide to what we can expect in Spain.
BENEFITS if you are working in Spain:
Paying national insurance contributions if you are working in Spain is important. Doing so builds up your entitlement to a pension and certain benefits. Also, as Spain operates a contributions-based healthcare system, paying social security contributions will ensure you, and any dependants, are covered for medical treatment.
• If you are working in Spain, you should apply in writing for any pension or benefit through the Spanish authorities
• Make sure you mention on your benefit application any previous work you have done in other EEA countries (including the UK) and any dependants you have - this may increase your entitlement
• If you have worked a combined total of 15 years in Spain and any other EEA country, you may be entitled to a Spanish state pension
• Contributing as autonomo does not give you entitlement to unemployment benefit although if you sign-on for a year you may be entitled to a benefit called 'Renta Activa de Inserción'
• If you are autonomo, it is essential you inform the TGSS when you stop work to avoid building up a debt to social security.
There are a number of means-tested unemployment benefits available in Spain. One of these benefits is known as Renta Activa de Inserción and it is designed specifically to help those groups of people who may find it particularly difficult to find work, such as those who are long-term unemployed, or who have a disability. Even better, you do not have to have worked in Spain previously to be eligible
If you are under 65, on a low income (personally receive less than €468/month) and believe you fall into one of the groups above, you may find it worthwhile looking into the Renta Activa de Inserción
To be eligible as someone who is long-term unemployed, you need to be over 45, while if you have a disability you must be assessed as at least 33% incapacitated. In both instances, you must also have been signing on with the employment office for 12 continuous months.
Therefore, if you are looking for work but have not started signing-on as unemployed already, you may find it well worth the while to start as it could result in entitlement to benefit further down the line.
More information available at www.sepe.es
There is also a new system called Plan 52 – if you are registered unemployed, you are over 52, and you are not receiving unemployment benefit, you can apply for this and you will receive €425 per month. You must have worked in Spain for 5 years and for 15 years in any other EEC member state.
SUBMERGED ECONOMY
Figures released by the Social Security services have revealed that with the current economic crisis, more and moire people are seeking -- and obtaining -- work and are being paid under the counter. It is estimated that this has cost Social Security over ninety-three million Euros during the first nine months of last year, and that trend is expected to continue
Here's something!
4,500 people yesterday formed a human chain in the streets of Valencia around the Social Security building in an effort to demand fairer pensions. A spokesman for the organisers stated that everyone was very satisfied with the response as it clearly showed how dissatisfied people were with the pension reforms enacted by the Socialist Government
HEALTHCARE
if you are not in receipt of a pension from any other country, you can apply to the International
Pension Centre (IPC) for form S1 (previously known as an E121). Once you receive this form, and have your residency and padrón certificate, you must take all copies of the S1 form, along with some form of official ID, to the INSS (social security) office. They should take the forms and issue you with an accreditation document, either there and then or through the post. Once you have this document, take it to your local health centre to register with a doctor. They will then apply for a Spanish health card on your behalf.
(NOTE – this is a different card from the EHIC which is for use outside Spain)
So if you’re a pensioner but have never applied for an S1/E121 or have the forms but never registered them, make sure you follow the steps above to make sure you have your right to healthcare in Spain recognised.
To contact Terry with enquiries or suggestions, just drop him a line via the 'Contact Us' link at the top of all pages on the www.expatsradio.com website.
