A mother’s ‘desperate situation’ in her battle to get healthcare promised for people on low incomes

Denice Carter, 46, her husband Stephen, 53 and their daughter Tara, now 13, bought a house in Pinar De Campoverde six years ago. ‘We loved Spain and what it had to offer,’ she says. ‘After looking into all aspects of Spain especially health and education we finally came to stay for keeps. We also looked into our finances to find that we could manage a simple but relaxed way of life and apportioned our small amount of savings according to our families needs until we were fully retired’.

The family, from Kidderminster, had paid full tax and national insurance in England to ensure they were entitled to the state pension scheme.

‘When we moved here we became not only fiscal residents but tax residents, filing our tax returns every year to the Spanish authorities,’ says Denice. ‘Now the Valencian Government has rescinded the law from 2003 which has taken away our healthcare.’

In line with others on low incomes, Denice took advice from the British Consulate to seek help from Social Services as the family’s income was well below the amount which would entitle them to ‘sin recursos’.

‘The 270 euros per quarter per person including children is impossible for us to pay,’ she says. ‘My husband’s private pension is now, because of the exchange rate, only 499 euros a month and our mortgage is 330 euros. We are well below the 615-euro threshold that was quoted for us to receive help with our healthcare. We were also informed that we could get healthcare for our daughter under the law for minors which entitles all children under the age of 18 free healthcare’.

Denice’s case began early in October last year when she explained to a member of staff in the Depencia Department of Social Services in Pilar de la Horadada  their situation.

‘I gave her all the information and paperwork need and she duly sent it to Alicante on October 23. Our SIP cards had an extension put on them till December 31. I called in to see her before Christmas and was told that she had not heard anything and I had to call back in January. We went back on January 13 and were told that our paperwork had gone to Valencia as a lot of people had complained so I guess they have passed the buck yet again. The member of staff said that the Valencian health authority was looking into this and would be sending us a letter. When, no one knows.’

Denice asked what would happen if any of the family were taken ill and was told that it was the hospital’s duty to treat them. On receiving a bill for treatment she was advised to tell the hospital authorities that there was no money to pay it.

‘My husband has high blood pressure and high cholesterol and needs three prescriptions a month, with one of his drugs alone costing 44 euros,’ says Denice. ‘We are not eligible for private health cover because of existing illnesses. As it stands we have no health cover whatsoever. I worry about going out and I fear for our daughter, she did not ask to be put in this situation and we would not have come here had we known this was going to happen.’

Denice says she feels that as she and her husband have been supporting the country as official tax residents in Spain they should be entitled to the promised health care.

‘We never came to Spain expecting something for nothing and have always paid our dues to the Spanish tax which is centrally funding the health authorities, so we are all contributing towards our health care when we are official tax residents. This private health scheme has not been fully looked into before being implemented on early retirees, residents and their children’.

‘So many of my friends have left Spain in the past few weeks, with young children who have been here a number of years and now have found themselves in a dire situation and have had no choice but to return to the UK. I am not blaming anyone in particular for our situation but surely somewhere along the line the UK and Spanish authorities should have more compassion and see that people are in a desperate situation. What happened to human rights? If not for adults, what about the children of ex-pats?’

Denice, who is a member of the action group PUMA22 which is fighting for the reinstatement of healthcare, said that moving back to the UK was not an option as it would be difficult if not impossible to sell their property in the current economic climate.

‘At least in the future people moving here will know full well that they have to pay for healthcare and they will not be duped like we were when we decided to come,’ she says.

‘What will it take before both Valencia and the United Kingdom see sense? There have been terrible individual cases already; we do not want to hear of any more’.

‘I understand that the Valencia region is suffering in the economic climate the same as every other country but surely when they made this law, those people that were permanently living here should still have their healthcare still in place. We don’t want to be another statistic, walking away and returning our house keys to the banks like a lot of my friends have been forced to do.’

As an only child Denice also feels responsibility for her parents, who moved to Spain at the same time. ‘My mum has chronic arthritis, so leaving here would be impossible as the climate is good for her but she will need more assistance in the near future. She is eligible to claim carers’ allowance for herself in the UK for me to look after her. I wonder what the circumstances would be on my family's health provisions then? We do not need any financial help just health provision’.

A statement issued by the British Consulate outlined the new scheme when it was put in place, stating: ‘If you feel you have insufficient income to meet the cost of the scheme you may be eligible for health cover through ‘sin recursos’ (insufficient economic means). Ask the social worker at your local health centre for more information’.

For further information on the fight for healthcare visit puma22.org

PUMA22 has started a Facebook group, with more than 400 members, enititled Sick and Abandoned – ex-pats in Spain. Visit it on http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=info&ref=search&gid=267166349103

Corry Granger