Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

seven-day-weekend

You can definitely continue to receive Incapacity benefit; this entitles you to free healthcare and prescriptions in Spain. My husband gets it and as his dependent I am also eligible for free healthcare.:D

I'm not sure about DLA, the law may have changed so that you can get it - give the DWP a ring.

Hope this helps

droopsnout

Interesting, s-d-w.

They won't pay me IB because they say my pension's too high! Could have fooled me! They do still pay my NI, though.

A while back, I had a letter to say that I would have to attend my local health authority offices for a medical examination. Last week, I had a letter saying that their medical people had considered the evidence received from the doctors, and my entitlement to IB would continue. (This would just be for the NI).

Erm ... I wasn't contacted by the French authorities, and I haven't had a medical!

I wonder what kind of evidence they received!!

I've now had Form IB6 in which I have to prove my income so that they can consider what level of IB I'm entitled to. I've had that every year, and it makes no difference: they pay me nowt!

Before we came here, I attended my local (UK) DSS office (or whatever title it went under then), and said that I was very worried about my receipt of IB, as they were then paying me £80-odd a week. I gave them all details, and they said not to worry, I was within the law, and I would continue to receive IB after moving to France.

When we did our sums to see what we could afford, we did two versions: with and without the IB. I'm now without it. Good job we decided we couldn't rely on it!

The point is: even when you've done the right thing, and told them everything they ask to know about, you still can't rely totally on the advice given by their employees.

seven-day-weekend

Hi droopsnout!

If you receive an Occupational Pension over £85 a week, IB is reduced by 50p for every pound over that £85, so that if you ahve a pension of around £240 (I think) a week, you get no money although still entitled to IB - this is why you get the NI credit. My husband's IB is reduced for this reason although he does get some.

We don't rely on it either.

No other income or savings affects it, just the Occupational Pension

They may just have written to the Doctor for a report, they do this sometimes. If the Dr knew your case he wouldn't need to see you.

You should still be entitled to free healthcare though, even if you don't get any money. If you don't have it already, ask for Form E121.

droopsnout

Ooh, our healthcare is well sorted, thanks! We do receive free cover through our local Caisse Primaire, and then we have a top-up insurance - all very normal in France.

I take your point about doctors' reports. I'm sure, in fact, that their request for a report must have gone to the doc I saw last time, and with whom I struck up a friendly relationship! If that's right, he may well have written a report about me without calling me in. Naughty, as my condition may have changed. (Note: this is the health authority's doc, not my GP). My GP here also had to fill in the usual forms.

You are spot-on with your figures re pensions and IB, too. Thank you for taking the trouble to post all this info.

jo_b_2

Hi droopsnout (and any other France-based MSE'rs!) :wave:

Just stumbled across a French version of ipoints (a Pigsback style site where you get points for clicks and polls etc) and thought of you. Don't know how good your French is but here's the site anyway:

http://www.maximiles.com/

droopsnout

Yes, thanks, Jo. And "Hi!" to you, too.

There's also https://www.edengo.com.

Unfortunately, neither of them allows a rapid collection of points, but, of course, it's better than nothing! I use them like Mutual Points in the UK, clicking on their email ads and collecting the points.

iPoints was taken over recently by Maximiles, and that's why there has been a make over at that site. I do earn points more quickly at iPoints than at Maximiles.

Unfortunately, I haven't come across anything quite like Quidco or Pigsback over here, although http://fr.igraal.com is pretty close to Quidco.

Dave_in_Spain

Anyone know what our Lords and Masters in the National Socialists (aka New Labour) are planning for us expats in receipt of IB? Do we have to pay our own fare to the Concentration Camps? Are we responsible for the purchase of our own delousing powder? Will the new "Employment Support Allowance" be configured to make it non-payable outside of the UK? Will we all be required to return to the UK for a 13-week "Work-focused assessment"? Answers here please.

droopsnout

You think Mr Cameron, with the great tradition of Conservative support for the Welfare State (ha!), would be any less aggressive in his pursuit of fraudsters?

I actually share your concern. And your questions.

I think, though, that the answers are more likely to appear first on the ex-pat forums.

seven-day-weekend

Dave in Spain and Droopsnout, I don't know the answers to your questions, but have heard on the Benefits board of this site that the new ESA will not affect existing claimants until 2014.

Hopefully this is true as my husband will be on his State Pension by then!

Watch this space!

Dave_in_Spain

The text of the Green Paper reads "Existing claimants will be migrated on to the new benefits between 2010 and 2014, with those able to work moving on to Jobseekers allowance"

I wonder if, as now, the decisions will be made by "Trained Decision Makers" who have no medical qualifications?

Dear Droopsnout. As I had the misfortune to have a protracted period of illness in 1991-93, under a Conservative government of long standing, I feel qualified to comment. My benefit was £120 a week, non-taxed and non means-tested and I was able, with Government funding, to undertake a course of study which allowed me to progress to University. I was forced to give up work again in 2003 (same illness) and my Incapacity Benefit is now capped at £50 a week, reducing annually in both real and monetary terms, and is taxable.