# Facilities and allowances for mentally handicapped



## rosegreen (Jul 16, 2008)

I would like to move to the Costa Blanca from Ireland with my mentally handicapped son aged 28 but cannot find details of facilities and allowances available to us.

I am a retired Fire Fighter and receive an employers pension and incapacity benefit for industrial injury and I understand these can be paid to me in Spain but am told my carers and my sons dissability allowances will be lost.

If anyone has information of allowances we would be entitled to and availability and eligability of day centres that my son would be entitled to attend I would be very grateful.

thanks and regards

Rosegreen


----------



## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Unless you and your son are spanish citizens I dont think you will get any assistance at all - I could be wrong, but thats my understanding. I think there are day care centres, but you'd probably have to pay and they would speak spanish I guess which may be a problem???

Jo


----------



## rosegreen (Jul 16, 2008)

Thanks jojo, my problem is that I paid a 6,000 euro reservation fee last week on a villa in Ciudad Quesada on the understanding that it would be refundable if no allowances or facilities were available and from my understanding so far we would have to be resident for 5 years before being eligable but the building agents are insisting we would qualify and seem reluctant to return my deposit.

Rosegreen


----------



## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

rosegreen said:


> Thanks jojo, my problem is that I paid a 6,000 euro reservation fee last week on a villa in Ciudad Quesada on the understanding that it would be refundable if no allowances or facilities were available and from my understanding so far we would have to be resident for 5 years before being eligable but the building agents are insisting we would qualify and seem reluctant to return my deposit.
> 
> Rosegreen


I cant comment really cos I dont know, but it seems very unlikely to me that A/ you are eligible to receive any benefits and B/ that you will find it easy to get your money back as building agents are having a hard time out here right now, lots are going bankrupt and lots are just hanging on by the skin of their teeth. Out of interest, which building agent is it??

Maybe someone more knowledgable than me can step in and advise you

Jo


----------



## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

rosegreen said:


> Thanks jojo, my problem is that I paid a 6,000 euro reservation fee last week on a villa in Ciudad Quesada on the understanding that it would be refundable if no allowances or facilities were available and from my understanding so far we would have to be resident for 5 years before being eligable but the building agents are insisting we would qualify and seem reluctant to return my deposit.
> 
> Rosegreen


Rosegreen, are you actually receiving disability benefit in the UK for your son at the moment?


----------



## rosegreen (Jul 16, 2008)

Hi jojo and stravinsky, The fire sevice pension and my incapacity benefit I receive from the UK are transferable to Spain but my sons disability and my carers allowance received from the Irish state are not transferable and cease if I leave Ireland. According to the Spanish welfare website my son and I would have to reside in Spain for 5 years before we could be evaluated for benefits.
The company I dealt with was MRI who were very professional and agreed to the conditions of my refundable reserve deposit if it was found that we were not entitled to the same benefits as we receive from the Irish state. Now it proves that we will not be able to claim they seem to be reluctant to return my deposit.
Thanks for your input.

Rosegreen


----------



## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

rosegreen said:


> Hi jojo and stravinsky, The fire sevice pension and my incapacity benefit I receive from the UK are transferable to Spain but my sons disability and my carers allowance received from the Irish state are not transferable and cease if I leave Ireland. According to the Spanish welfare website my son and I would have to reside in Spain for 5 years before we could be evaluated for benefits.
> The company I dealt with was MRI who were very professional and agreed to the conditions of my refundable reserve deposit if it was found that we were not entitled to the same benefits as we receive from the Irish state. Now it proves that we will not be able to claim they seem to be reluctant to return my deposit.
> Thanks for your input.
> 
> Rosegreen


Did you have your agreement in writing by any chance?


----------



## rosegreen (Jul 16, 2008)

Yes I did and I'm hoping as a reputable company they will honour that agreement


----------



## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

rosegreen said:


> Yes I did and I'm hoping as a reputable company they will honour that agreement


Thats great to hear
I guess they will mess you around and do all they can to discourage you, but maybe you should consult a solicitor and show them you are serious if you feel they are going to go back on their word.


----------



## rosegreen (Jul 16, 2008)

I received a full refund from MRI for my booking deposit (so there are good guys out there)

Incase anyone else should have problems similar to mine I found out that allowances for dissability or carers/attendance are not exportable to Spain and to receive allowances/services from the Spanish state a residence qualification of 5 years is required before application can be made.

Sadly this means we will not be moving to Spain but will continue to enjoy our holidays there.

good luck to all


----------



## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

rosegreen said:


> I received a full refund from MRI for my booking deposit (so there are good guys out there)
> 
> Incase anyone else should have problems similar to mine I found out that allowances for dissability or carers/attendance are not exportable to Spain and to receive allowances/services from the Spanish state a residence qualification of 5 years is required before application can be made.
> 
> ...


I'm glad its been resolved successfully and without fuss, its nice to know there are "good guys" out there.

thanks for the info

Jo x


----------

