# Mother!



## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

Hi Guys, hoping to pick your brains.

We live in Spain, I pay taxes here blah blah blah. Now Mum who is knocking on in years and lives on her own wants to come out to live rather than flying out every couple of months to see us.

She lives a humble life, at the moment she lives in a flat in the UK and has a carer who comes in 3 times a day to check on her, make her dinner etc. She spent most of her money on care and now receives the following income:

State Pension, Pension Credit, Disability (care and mobility), housing benefit

I need to know really what she can "export to spain". I believe she would only get her state pension and the care element of disability but can she export pension credits and are there any other things she can claim here or bring with her?

Also what about care? Right now because housing benefit pay her rent she can use her pension to pay for the carer. I know in spain its normally family who care for relatives but I work full time and care for a sick partner so i cant do anymore! Can she get care here in her own home? is is chargeable etc?

It would be really nice to see her enkoy a better climate in her last years but obviously it has to be a financially viable option for her. Any advice would be great
thanks


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

To the best of my knowledge you can export the pension and the DLA, (and the winter fuel allowance) but thats all. There are caring services available, even expat ones, but I think they will be chargeable???? Maybe someone will prove me wrong lol!!!!! 

Jo xxx


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

jojo said:


> To the best of my knowledge you can export the pension and the DLA, (and the winter fuel allowance) but thats all. There are caring services available, even expat ones, but I think they will be chargeable???? Maybe someone will prove me wrong lol!!!!!
> 
> Jo xxx


thanks for the quick reply

thats pretty much as i thought. i know you can only export the care element of DLA and not the mobility part but the little things like pension credits etc and obviously if there is any state run care available will be good to knwo if anyone has those answers


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Finances aside, I'd think this one through long and hard before bringing your Mum to a foreign country - even one as close by as Spain.

We just had a case here in France of a woman who brought her mother over from the US (admittedly a greater distance) and thought she had everything set up in terms of care, health care, etc. They even had a live-in carer who worked half time (but unfortunately didn't speak much French).

But it turned out to be really too much for her mother, being in a country where she didn't speak the language, couldn't watch television nor easily get hold of a newspaper or magazine to look at. It became really quite difficult just to find things for Mum to do all day to keep herself busy and she couldn't go out on her own, because if she ran into trouble, she couldn't even explain to a policeman what the problem was or where she lived.

They wound up taking Mum back to the US, where at least the language and customs were familiar. It was just too difficult for a little old lady to deal with all that change. (OK, this Mum was in her 90's and was having difficulties as it was remembering things.) I think they wound up having to put her in either a nursing home or an assisted living place because they'd already given up the flat where she had been living. 

Just trying to say that there are lots more considerations than just the financial to keep in mind.
Cheers,
Bev


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

Bevdeforges said:


> Finances aside, I'd think this one through long and hard before bringing your Mum to a foreign country - even one as close by as Spain.
> 
> We just had a case here in France of a woman who brought her mother over from the US (admittedly a greater distance) and thought she had everything set up in terms of care, health care, etc. They even had a live-in carer who worked half time (but unfortunately didn't speak much French).
> 
> ...


Thanks for the input. You are absolutely right and we have been saying this to mum for some time now. The thing is, since dad died she has lived on her own, one by one all her friends have passed away and she really is isolated in the UK. Having her in Spain long term is not ideal from a selfish point of view - i mean in the UK we know that when elderly relatives get very sick they can get the care they need and there are (reasonably) good care homes etc.

Mum has had a rough few years, we came to spain because of my partners health mainly and sadly its left her very lonely.

Luckily in Spain there are English publications, plenty of Brits around etc but I know that long term as her health deteriorates it may not be as ideal here. My Spanish is ok (ish) and we have a lot of spanish friends so things like trips to the doctors etc should be ok.

Having said all that she is very keen and part of me really feels that everyone deserves the right to end their days happy!

All depends mainly on money because the UK govornment as always have milked her of her savings, house etc (all but for a small amount) and now she lives a fairly humble life, so depends what she can/cant get out here.


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## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

1st step: check with a local(to your mother) Citizen's advice, next check with the DWP and see what they say.

Best of luck. Ihope it works out for you and you mother


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Just an "add on" to what Bev says. If you mum ever need to go into hospital, the system in Spain is quite different from the UK, visitors do the main caring and then theres the language issues which may frighten and confuse your mum ???!!! But I wouldnt want to put her off coming, if she's up for it, then it could be fun for her. 

Jo xxx


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

jojo said:


> Just an "add on" to what Bev says. If you mum ever need to go into hospital, the system in Spain is quite different from the UK, visitors do the main caring and then theres the language issues which may frighten and confuse your mum ???!!! But I wouldnt want to put her off coming, if she's up for it, then it could be fun for her.
> 
> Jo xxx


thanks for the reply Jo

yeah i know about the hospitals, mum is slightly ...ermmm...forgetful shall we say so the chance of her ever learning spanish is a no no (spend 2 weeks trying to teach her the spanish for roundabout - we can just about say roundaboutonda (so its typical spanglish) - i think between us all we can muddle through hospitals! - god this will be fun for me wont it!


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## skirt (Aug 17, 2009)

Hi Steve was your dad ever in the Armed Forces? if so i wonder if a chat with the SSAFA caseworker (via Age Concern Espana) could help in any way? It may be worth a phone call to see if there is any way they can help? About Age Concern


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

skirt said:


> Hi Steve was your dad ever in the Armed Forces? if so i wonder if a chat with the SSAFA caseworker (via Age Concern Espana) could help in any way? It may be worth a phone call to see if there is any way they can help? About Age Concern


interesting point, thanks. yes dad did serve a few years in the army when he was younger (during the war). he used to get a small war pension but mum never got it after he died, still worth looking into though!!


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## skirt (Aug 17, 2009)

You could ask SSAFA to visit her now while still in UK nd see if anything can be done to help her with a view to moving to Spain later Branch


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