Benefits and moving abroad???

Mr_Falling_Star

GotNo£ wrote: »

Actually according to the government website you can claim contribution based JSA for up to 3 months as long as you apply before leaving the UK and you are going to Spain to look for work. However you can't claim income based JSA (which is what I'd probably be looking to do ). How can one check the level of past contributions needed for contribution based JSA? It's all so confusing.

Maybe just claim JSA(C) while you are here. If you get it fine, if not you have a problem

I agree with most of the posters here, while in theory its possible to claim JSA (C) in another EU country it will be hellaciously complicated. You have to follow each countries jobseeker regime. Its complicated enough in the UK where you have a understanding of the language and culture, how much harder to do the same thing in say, France?

As for Jobs elsewhere in the EU there may be places where unemployment isn't as high as the UK, you will need to do your research, save up some money and head out there

Lets_Say_2

Magenta wrote: »

If you are a qualified plumber or electrician you would be able to get work in ex-pat communities. ..

You might be able to get work in ex-pat communities. My local qualified plumber has diversified into satellite tv installations to make ends meet.

Everything Seven Day Weekend points out is true, jobs are very hard to get in Spain.

Are you young enough to try for travel repping abroad? Or bar work? If that's what you fancy? Last year I googled 'summer jobs in Greece' and got quite a few interesting adverts.

Oldernotwiser

[QUOTE=Magenta;30060315If_you_are_a_qualified_plumber_or_electrician_you_would_be_able_to_get_work_in_ex-pat_communities._[/QUOTE]

Not necessarily. Not all EU countries recognise UK qualifications and the regulations for plumbing and electrics can be very different abroad; which matters even when working for expats.

hermum

I have family in Spain at the moment who will be returning as soon as they can, the area they're in is suffering really badly. A lot of the ex pats who have lived & worked there for over 20 years have packed up & come back to the Uk in the last year, with a lot more set to follow. They are all people who speak fluent Spanish & have a lot of contacts. Soon the holiday camps will be advertising for people to put the tents up in Spain & France, that may give you an idea of whether you would like it.
Are you working at the moment?
Good luck if you go but choose where you go carefully.

seven-day-weekend

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Not necessarily. Not all EU countries recognise UK qualifications and the regulations for plumbing and electrics can be very different abroad; which matters even when working for expats.

Ah. I think the ex-pat plumbers we are referring to are not entirely conversant with the requirements to be officially recognised, shall we say? It's so much the norm here (amongst Spaniards too) that one forgets it is illegal.

OP, forget what I said about plumbing!

Of course I agree with you ONW, the qualifications and regulations are totally different and being legally self-employed is a minefield of expense and bureaucracy.

GotNo£

Just signed on for JSA (think it's income based though). Was working ad-hoc, but after Xmas and NY that dried up considerably and so my weekly balance started regularly slipping into negative figures so it wasn't worth continuing, especially when you've got to see a housing contract out and a landlord coming round asking why rent is late. Rent is NOT cheap, even in a crap area (lowest council tax band), not to mention the bills in a freezing cold winter.