Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

droopsnout

I'm engaged? Oh, wrong DS ...

Hulloo to all. Yes, it is quiet here. Maybe that's a good sign.

But those of us who are still expats should really be kicking up a hell of a stink over the way our UK government treats us!

Best wishes to all.

DS (the one in France)

seven-day-weekend

I've been thinking.

My husband and I were planning a holiday to Yegen for a couple of weeks next spring. For me it would be the first time I have been abroad anywhere since December 2011. My husband went to Yegen in April 2012 just to make sure everything was OK before the sale completed. I thought I was really looking forward to visiting again.

Then my husband said 'do you really want to go to Yegen? Wouldn't you rather go to Portugal or Cyprus with E & L (friends)?'

And do you know, the more I think about it, the more I think I would. The things I want to do in Yegen (meet up with one or two people and have a meal together) is far outweighed by the things I don't want to do (see our house, see the people who bought it, see other people who will expect us to see them). Also I have such good memories of the place I want to leave it like that and not risk spoiling it.

Maybe it's not good to re-visit once something is over. Just remember with fondness.

Portugal/Cyprus, here we come!

droopsnout

You're probably making the right choice, there, s-d-w. Have a wonderful time!

droopsnout

I presume from the lack of response to my "kicking up a stink" comment that no other expats are still around?

Night night.

seven-day-weekend

I did wonder what you meant, but then I read something on British Expats Spanish board about the UK removing some rights to Healthcare via the S1. Is it this you are referring to?

donny-gal

I presume you mean this DS.

Certainly the expats near me feel the hospitals are dragging their feet over expensive treatments, knee ops, etc.

DG

seven-day-weekend

Link does not work for me, d-g

gfplux

Link not working for me also.
I have heard nothing about any changes.
However I am in the Luxembourg system (which works quite well thank you) frankly if I became ill on a trip to the UK I would try and get back to Luxembourg as soon as possible. That was the advise given by French expats in the UK, to my French wife when she came to England in 1982. It seems to hold good even today.

donny-gal

Try the old way
http://www.roundtownnews.com/rtn-newsflash/item/44325-threat-to-healthcare.html
DG

droopsnout

Yes, that's the latest attempt to save money at expats' expense. Doesn't seem to matter that we paid into the system during our working lives.

But there's also the plan to take away the Winter Fuel Payment (that the European Court ruled we oldies were entitled to) by taking the average temperature of the south-east of England, then the average temperature of other countries. If you live in another country where the average temp is warmer than the SE of England, then you don't get the allowance. Seems fair? Like many ideas these politicos get, it seems fair until you do some thinking and some digging. Many places in France and Spain, for instance, have much colder temps than places in England (especially the SE!). And, to find the average temp for France, they included some of the tropical French islands like Guadeloupe and Martinique. (Strangely, they didn't include Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, which is in the North Atlantic, 25kms from Newfoundland!)

One strange effect of this method of calculating is that if you live in France, you don't get the payment. But you do if you live in Italy!!

This comes in in 2015, if they persist with the idea. It doesn't require debate in Parliament, apparently. They can just do it.

(Click here to see the response to an article covering this in the "Connexion" newspaper for expats in France).

Add to that the fact that expats lose their vote after living 15 years abroad, and we are effectively stateless, even expats like us who pay our taxes in the UK because we have government-service pensions. France, Italy and other countries not only have their expats voting, they also have special MPs to represent them.

I pay my taxes and I have a house in the UK. I should have a vote. "No taxation without representation?" It's a joke!

Oh, and don't forget that if an expat applies for a passport from their country of residence, they pay around double the price of someone in the UK. As good moneysavers, we went back to the UK last time and renewed at a passport office, working it into a visit to family and friends.

We certainly have the impression that the UK government doesn't give a stuff about Brits abroad.

If you're interested, and especially if you're a Brit expat, have a look here:

http://www.votes-for-expat-brits.com/ and its associated site
http://votes-for-expat-brits-blog.com/