Very old lady in need of funds....

Blue_Parrot

Hi xylophone again :beer:

xylophone wrote: »

The situation is then that she is not eligible for a UK issued EHIC because she receives a German pension - if she had been eligible the EHIC would have entitled her to " be treated on the same basis as a resident of that country".

May we then infer that her German pension confers that right on her?

This is a grey area, and very difficult to investigate from here.

Presumably she has had that right since starting to receive the German pension so did the "huge medical bills" arise because she chose private medicine?

Uh, she didn't choose "private medicine" per se. As a UK citizen she was not entitled to prescription discounts and therefore has to pay full whack = €many per month, we are about to find out how many on Sunday, tomorrow. However many, it is a LOT, apparently.

At all events, since Germany is a civilised country, one assumes that there are arrangements to prevent ninety year old frail pensioners being cast out on the streets!

Not necessarily. I'd have agreed with you up until this June when we visited again. This time we called (to a family meeting) in an intelligent cousin (nephew of old lady) who lives and works there and who speaks English. He told us quite crisply that the German Govnmt are entirely capable of turning out a 90-year-old UK resident, upon the mercy of any UK relatives. They would be acting within EU law so to do. Moral or compassionate judgements don't necessarily come into it. If they see fit, she'd have to leave the country no matter how old or infirm. And no matter, apparently, how unable she is to actually leave their country anyway.

It boils down to finding out what German social services will do for her and one hopes that the reply to your e-mail to the Embassy will provide the answers.

I agree

In the mean time you might have to liquidate her remaining investments - sending the money to her bank account shouldn't entail insuperable problems despite your difficulties with the card reader?

I do hope you'll be able to source some help for this lady - let us know!

Will do. Thanks again.

xylophone

http://www.toytowngermany.com/lofi/index.php/t145703.html
I wonder had you seen this - it is three years old though.

Newly_retired

When I think how much we do for European immigrants in UK, this is astounding. So much for reciprocal arrangements.

Blue_Parrot

xylophone wrote: »

http://www.toytowngermany.com/lofi/index.php/t145703.html
I wonder had you seen this - it is three years old though.

Xlyo, this was a great deal of help. I have read every word and printed some of it out for my husband. It also made very depressing reading indeed, and I went to bed with severe misgivings last night (the last thing I need when trying to get to sleep, but anyway......)

He's on the phone to her as I type. It seems that the German State pension is €200 a year, not a month. As he has just replied, it seems hardly worth their while in paying so little.

ALL the other details (rent cost, medication cost, does she pay into a Pflegeversicherung or not) will have to wait until we get there next month. Unfortunately, since we're going there for "Christmas" (not much of a Christmas as usually understood, looms ahead), all Government offices will be shut; and even if they were open our German isn't good enough to make detailed enquiries.

The German Embassy might reply, but I somehow doubt they can get into details. Our only hope is that she has kept bank statements and secondly that we (can't read German) can understand them.

Sorry for wittering on, but the concern and it has to be said, irritation at the hours being put into this when responses are "I don't know", are beginning to take a toll. Let's hope for some clarity when we arrive in late December. :undecided

Thank you to Everyone who has taken the trouble to reply. Your support is much appreciated.

Blue_Parrot

Newly_retired wrote: »

When I think how much we do for European immigrants in UK, this is astounding. So much for reciprocal arrangements.

Couldn't agree more.

xylophone

Would the nephew help out as interpreter?

Blue_Parrot

xylophone wrote: »

Would the nephew help out as interpreter?

Have sent you a PM.

innovate

innovate wrote: »

Actually, you might do better contacting a British embassy or consulate in Germany.

Did you ever try that route?

Blue_Parrot

innovate wrote: »

Did you ever try that route?

Hi innovate,

There seems little point in contacting the British Embassy in Germany, since they are a part of the British Government and with whom (department of work and pensions) we spoke recently. They'd only refer us back to them, methinks.

Overseas embassies are not there for things which UK-based officials can answer, I reckon. I could be wrong, of course.

Thanks anyway.

sleepless_saver

Newly_retired wrote: »

When I think how much we do for European immigrants in UK, this is astounding. So much for reciprocal arrangements.

It is reciprocal - a German living here who doesn't meet the criteria below, or who doesn't have close family here who meet the criteria would not have a right to remain in the UK.

"EEA nationals may enter the UK with a valid passport or ID card and may remain for three months. For longer stays it is necessary to be a qualified person, ie. to exercise treaty rights. This means one (or more) of the following apply:

-employment
-self-employment
-study with sufficient funds and comprehensive sickness insurance other than NHS coverage
-self-sufficiency with comprehensive sickness insurance other than NHS coverage
-seeking employment, registration with the job centre would be advisable."