Spending more than 3 months abroad - NHS Entitlement

Oldernotwiser

BFG wrote: »

Live in Spain - entitled to WINTER FUEL ALLOWANCE

Why shouldn't a retired person living in Spain get the WFA? It get very cold in Spain in the winter - far colder than in the south of the UK.

BFG_2

from the DH website...

If you go anywhere abroad for more than three months, either for a one-off extended holiday for a few months or to live permanently for several years, but then return to the UK to take up permanent residence here again, then you will be entitled to receive free NHS hospital treatment from the day you return. So will your spouse, civil partner and children (under the age of 16, or 19 if in further education) if they are also living with you permanently in the UK again.


SO there you have it,....... you simply explain that you are "..returning to the UK to take up permanent residence ".

Job done.

BFG_2

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Why shouldn't a retired person living in Spain get the WFA? It get very cold in Spain in the winter - far colder than in the south of the UK.

If that's a genuine issue for ALL Spanish over 60's then surely the generous Spanish gov will be looking after you all and helping you out with a SPANISH gov version of the WFA??

What about the fact that your heating bills for the summer are much lower than the typical UK pensioners, and thus the money you save covers you in the winter?

Or do you send a cheque back to the UK gov for the difference between Spainish and UK summer heating bills??

Highgrove

The finance department of our local health authority confirmed that if you are out of the country in a non EU state for more than three months of the year you are not eligible for NHS treatment. They said that if you say that you have returned for good they would want to see your passport and be convinced that you had returned for good.

It seems that different health authorities deal with this in different ways. I have spoken to friends who have had hospital appointments and not been asked to fill in any such form. Another friend has just been asked on a form if they have lived in the UK in the past 12 months. My form is much more specific and asks if I have spent more than 3 months out of the country in the last 12.

BFG_2

PCTs are the same as everyone - cash strapped.

They are wasting so much money on managers and preparing for swine flu that they have to cut costs elsewhere.

Hence they are looking for any way at all to deny treatment to patients [or to make the patient pay], and residency is just one way. [Just like the US, so hey whats the argument about...lol]

Be afraid, be very afraid....