Informal English Speaking Group January 2010 - Newsletter Group Reminder The English Group will meet as usual at the Hotel Almazara, Rio Frio on Tuesday 5th January between 12:00 and 2:00 pm. We are hoping for a good turn out this month as the hotel is opening the bar especially for the group while the hotel is closed for refurbishing and building of new facilities over the winter. New web site Informal English Speaking Group’s web site has been re-launched and is being updated on a more regular basis. You will be able to access the web site in the usual way at www.englishinloja.com. The usual contents will be there, as well as some new information and pages. Edited versions of the previous newsletters will be available with information that is still relevant retained. If you have items that you would like to see included on the web site or in the monthly newsletter please contact the editor through englishinloja@gmail.com. Diary Dates for December 2009 and 2010 Group Meeting Dates for 2010 2nd February 2010 – this meeting marks the start of our 6th year, do note the date and join us. 2nd March 2010 6th April 2010 Royal British Legion The next meeting of the Loja branch of the Royal British Legion will be on Wednesday 27th January 2010 at the Hotel Mirador, 18:00. All are welcome to join the RBL you do not have to have served in the armed forces, you only need to share their aims and objectives. At the January meeting there will be a raffle to raise funds and the branch is appealing for the donation of unwanted Christmas gifts (Auntie Flo’s hand knitted woollen socks or the bottle of 25 year old brandy from Uncle Tom now that you have given up alcohol after THAT party, anything will be welcome). Trip to Malaga Christmas Lights There were 35 people on the trip to see the Malaga Christmas lights which took place on Monday 14th December. It was a cold and windy evening, but people enjoyed the visit; some went shopping, others just enjoyed walking around and looking at the lights and the beautiful Christmas Belen at the Ayuntamiento. The coach finished the evening off by driving round some of the other lights and the spectacularly decorated roundabouts. If anyone has a photograph they think may be suitable to put on the web site, please email a copy to englishinloja@gmail.com Information from the UK Consulate - Pension, Benefit & Healthcare The following information has been received from the UK Consulate, it will also be available on the Informal English Group’s web site at www.englishinloja.com Changes in Issuing European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs) for UK State Pensioners Are you travelling back to the UK? Or perhaps planning a getaway somewhere else in the EU? If so, you should be aware of changes to the system of issuing the European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs). EHICs are needed to cover necessary medical treatment while you’re away. These changes will only affect those people who currently access their healthcare in Spain on an E121 form, who are mainly UK State Pensioners. If you require cover for a visit before 1st May 2010, you should continue to apply to your local social security office (INSS). If you are planning a trip for after this date, it will be the UK authorities who issue your EHIC. Please remember that the new regulations will not affect your access to Spanish state healthcare. The new arrangements for issuing EHICs to UK E121 holders are still being finalised by the Department of Health. The processes will be in place in plenty of time so as not to disrupt anybody's cover. Once we know exactly how the new application system will work, we will communicate this extensively. Unemployment Opportunities We’re all aware that unfortunately unemployment figures are rising, but did you know that if you’ve worked in Spain, you might be entitled to unemployment benefit? If you have made sufficient social security contributions in Spain in the last 6 years, you may be eligible. Even if you have worked for less than 6 years in Spain, if you have previously worked in another EEA country, your contributions there can be taken into account to establish your entitlement. For this you’ll need form E301 from the country where you worked. To get this form from the UK, contact HM Revenue and Customs. For more information on Spanish unemployment benefits, including pages in English, visit www.inem.es Consulate Open Day The British Consulate based in Malaga has held a series of Open Days on pension and benefits as they affect British residents in Spain. We are negotiating with the Consulate to bring such an open event to Loja. For this to happen we need to know the number of people who would be interested in such an event. If you think that you would be interested in attending please email us as soon as possible at englishinloja@gmail.com. If the open day can be arranged we will let you have full details in due course. It is hoped that if there are sufficient numbers to make the event viable it will be late May or early June. Talks by the Lawyer Rob Westwater will be giving two talks in February and March, each will last for approximately an hour, they will be aimed at bringing up to date the those given by Myles Jackson two years ago. Since the last series of talks there have been numerous changes in Spanish and EU law which will affect the British who reside in Spain. Therefore talks will be relevant to new comers to life in Spain, also to longer standing residents who are interested in keeping up with the law in Spain. If you have any topics that you would like Rob to address please let us know as soon as possible by email to englishinloja@gmail.com and we will pass these on to him. Any requests should be of a general nature rather than a specific enquiry relating to your personal circumstances. Useful Web Sites Another web site to add to the list of useful sites: www.juntadeandalucia.es Parts of this site are being translated into English, although not all pages are yet available in English. It is worth having a look as the site contains much valuable information. Our very best wishes to all the members of the Informal English Group and to their families, may the New Year bring you peace, good health and great enjoyment of your life in Spain. Peter & Patricia 30th December 2009 If you know of anybody who is not on the mailing list and would like to receive a copy of the Newsletter please let us know as below. If at any time you do not want to receive the Newsletter please let us know by email and your name will be removed from the mailing list. englishinloja@gmail.com Disclaimer Although we hope the information contained in the newsletters and on our web pages will be of interest the authors accept no liability and offers no warranties in relation to it and its content, to the fullest extent such liability can be excluded by law. The documents are not a substitute for legal advice, and are not intended or offered as such. Every case is different, and the only way to ensure that the advice is appropriate to your particular circumstances is to instruct a lawyer, who can take full instructions on all relevant issues. The author does not therefore accept any duty of care to anyone who makes use of, or seeks to rely on, material in the newsletters or on the web site. |