[Jules Worcester]

I really don't know where this idea of work-life balance being good in Spain comes from. Spain has terrible working hours, especially in customer facing positions, and the high unemployment means that most salaried people are expected to work far longer than the contracted hours.

If you need to work to survive, I do not recommend coming to Spain unless you can get here on an expat package.

Hi,

thank you for your opinion.
The Spanish unemployment is currently about 11%.
The country I'm coming from - we used to have unemployment about 20% but believe or not-
if you really wanted to find the job - you found it.
In Spain is huge underground economy but being so many year in Spain you probably know.
In of work - of course that there is no comparison between UK and Spain.
However if you don't try - you will never know...Fortitude.
My British colleagues are telling me : Jules,be positive,so I'm trying.


All the best,

Jules

 

[Jules Worcester]

I feel you do not understand the point of my post. I was asking you to give links to websites where you obtian your information from.

The Spanish Government Introduces a €200 Monthly Universal Child Benefit: Meeting Longstanding FEFN Demands - ELFAC

The Spanish Government has announced the creation of a universal parenting benefit of 200 euros per month per child, for all families, regardless of their economic situation. The objective of this measure is to guarantee a minimum of child well-being for all boys and girls to decrease the child...

www.elfac.org

Google Search

Spain – Eurocarers

eurocarers.org

You're welcome!

 

[1kaipa]

The Spanish Government Introduces a €200 Monthly Universal Child Benefit: Meeting Longstanding FEFN Demands - ELFAC

The Spanish Government has announced the creation of a universal parenting benefit of 200 euros per month per child, for all families, regardless of their economic situation. The objective of this measure is to guarantee a minimum of child well-being for all boys and girls to decrease the child...

www.elfac.org

Google Search

Spain – Eurocarers

eurocarers.org

You're welcome!

These English language papers are notoriously good at creating slightly misleading stories. The 200€ a month for all children is first of all non existent but suggested for 2025. However the government in Spain is not like in UK and everything Sanchez's Government announces requires all his numerous allies to vote for and that is next to impossible and takes for ever often being dropped or modified- so this is not in fact law. Secondly it is la Ley de prestación de crianza - and is a payment up to 200€ per child but only for families who are living below the minimum levels. You really can't expect any from Spain unless you financial situation is quiet bad. I mean Spain finds the up roar about winter fuel allowance weird

 

[1kaipa]

Hi,

thank you for your opinion.
The Spanish unemployment is currently about 11%.
The country I'm coming from - we used to have unemployment about 20% but believe or not-
if you really wanted to find the job - you found it.
In Spain is huge underground economy but being so many year in Spain you probably know.
In of work - of course that there is no comparison between UK and Spain.
However if you don't try - you will never know...Fortitude.
My British colleagues are telling me : Jules,be positive,so I'm trying.


All the best,

Jules

I understand your opinion but try not to let ions dictate your decisions when it comes to family decisions if finance is an issue. I came to Spain when my son was 10 and really regret it. We managed simply because we had UK house with no mortgage which could be rented and brought in enough money to supplement our jobs. There is no possible way we could have stayed here simply on our Spanish wages.My wife was Spanish speaking so that was vital. Basically my son struggled a lot. It takes years to learn the language for children and total nonsense to say they pick it up in months. By the time they have enough just to follow classes they have missed years and never really catch up. My wife put in hours and hours of work helping my son memorize Spanish stuff for exams. By the time he was 16 he was doing well in the Spanish school but he knew that he had to study in English in order to get to a level to go to university so we transferred him to a bilingual school. He managed to get all his A levels and is at university. However all this was done because we had other sources of income than wages. We still struggle a bit now as self employment is 300€ a month and my wife barely makes 1200€ a month ( and that is as a government 112 translator being a available 7 days a week 24 hours!!!)

 

[Jules Worcester]

I understand your opinion but try not to let ions dictate your decisions when it comes to family decisions if finance is an issue. I came to Spain when my son was 10 and really regret it. We managed simply because we had UK house with no mortgage which could be rented and brought in enough money to supplement our jobs. There is no possible way we could have stayed here simply on our Spanish wages.My wife was Spanish speaking so that was vital. Basically my son struggled a lot. It takes years to learn the language for children and total nonsense to say they pick it up in months. By the time they have enough just to follow classes they have missed years and never really catch up. My wife put in hours and hours of work helping my son memorize Spanish stuff for exams. By the time he was 16 he was doing well in the Spanish school but he knew that he had to study in English in order to get to a level to go to university so we transferred him to a bilingual school. He managed to get all his A levels and is at university. However all this was done because we had other sources of income than wages. We still struggle a bit now as self employment is 300€ a month and my wife barely makes 1200€ a month ( and that is as a government 112 translator being a available 7 days a week 24 hours!!!)

Hi,

Thank you for sharing your story. I wanted to read about those real experiences so again - thank you.
I'm not led by ion. If I see that it will not work, I let it go despite my dream of living in a sunny country.
In this case, my mind controls my heart. You need to be pragmatic.

Living almost 20 years in the UK was quite comfortable.
However, lots of things changed - especially the weather.
I found the UK weather different now. Most of the year grey skies, lots of rain, and flooding.
You have 4 months of "normal" weather and the rest of the year - hiding in the house.
Apart from that it is mentally exhausting.
Quality of food - I don't want to even go there.
NHS - the same.
Traffic everywhere, increasing criminality, people thinking about shopping only,
lack of outdoor activities/not many mountains and forests, caves, aquaparks, ice skating rings,
sea - which is enormously cold or with of sewage...../
Well, as they say - you can't have everything.
But despite all this - I will always consider the UK as my second home and I'm grateful for many things here.
I just feel that there is now the time to start a new journey so hence these thoughts about relocating to the country where
we as a family can be most of the time outside.🌞

Best regards,

Jules

 

[Crawford]

What type of work will you be looking for? Do you have a profession?. Do you speak Spanish fluently?

You said :

the state s carer allowance, child benefits, and disability living allowances are big part of our family budget.

So unless you are expecting to get a good job, with a good income your dreams are going to remain, dreams.

 

[Jules Worcester]

What type of work will you be looking for? Do you have a profession?. Do you speak Spanish fluently?

You said :

the state s carer allowance, child benefits, and disability living allowances are big part of our family budget.

So unless you are expecting to get a good job, with a good income your dreams are going to remain, dreams.

Hi,

don't have a profession and I don't speak Spanish at all.
I don't want to put a list of jobs I have done in the last 3 decades but if you're not picky - surely you'll find something.
Regards the Spanish language:
As I mentioned in my previous post I can speak, write, and read in 7 languages apart from my own.
Each language is on a different level - some of them better than others.
With all respect: I'm confident to learn Spanish within a reasonable time.

Look: if all incomes of the family/anywhere in the world/ are bigger than expenses - happy days.
I have a feeling that most of the people reacting to my original query didn't answer it at all.
People are talking mostly negatively about living in Spain and I didn't see anything positive.
I accept everybody's opinion so that's fine.

All the best,

Julius

 

[Crawford]

People have answered your questions regarding special needs schools and government for carers, disabilities etc; namely, you are unlikely get the same level of benefits as in the UK.

Let us know how you get on if you make it to Spain.

 

[1kaipa]

Hi,

Thank you for sharing your story. I wanted to read about those real experiences so again - thank you.
I'm not led by ion. If I see that it will not work, I let it go despite my dream of living in a sunny country.
In this case, my mind controls my heart. You need to be pragmatic.

Living almost 20 years in the UK was quite comfortable.
However, lots of things changed - especially the weather.
I found the UK weather different now. Most of the year grey skies, lots of rain, and flooding.
You have 4 months of "normal" weather and the rest of the year - hiding in the house.
Apart from that it is mentally exhausting.
Quality of food - I don't want to even go there.
NHS - the same.
Traffic everywhere, increasing criminality, people thinking about shopping only,
lack of outdoor activities/not many mountains and forests, caves, aquaparks, ice skating rings,
sea - which is enormously cold or with of sewage...../
Well, as they say - you can't have everything.
But despite all this - I will always consider the UK as my second home and I'm grateful for many things here.
I just feel that there is now the time to start a new journey so hence these thoughts about relocating to the country where
we as a family can be most of the time outside.🌞

Best regards,

Jules

I understand what you are saying but do bear in mind that whilst you have real experiences in UK to inform you it probably is the case that your knowledge of Spain in the areas you note are based on simply reading things or accepting myths. Spain has pretty much the same food as UK - supermarkets in UK stock lots of Spanish vegs etc and here in Spain people essentially buy the same things ( meat etc is all factory farmed). Spanish healthcare is in reality not that different to UK- there are still long waits etc. The idea that it is superior is more based on the fact that many Brits live in small towns in the south where individual practices deal with less people. In larger cities like Madrid etc healthcare is high up on Spanish people's concerns and is always a political issue. Employment is always a problem in Spain and to be honest without Spanish and a specific profession you will struggle to find even the most rudimentary work to a family. Whereas in UK it is easy to get work in a supermarket or cleaner - this is not going to be available to you without good Spanish and even these jobs are very competitive. However if you are fluent in something like a Scandinavian language then call centre work is available as many Norwegian and Swedish call centres now are based in Spain. As for crime - today on the news is an area of Seville where there have been basically gun battles at night between clans where automatic high velocity bullets are being fired into buildings. And then there are actual groups of people shouting "*******" ( deregatory name for gays) at the minister of state who is homosexual- this is pretty horrible to watch and realize that many Spanish people feel nothing wrong in shouting such hate. So it is not a perfect place at all.

 

[Jules Worcester]

I understand what you are saying but do bear in mind that whilst you have real experiences in UK to inform you it probably is the case that your knowledge of Spain in the areas you note are based on simply reading things or accepting myths. Spain has pretty much the same food as UK - supermarkets in UK stock lots of Spanish vegs etc and here in Spain people essentially buy the same things ( meat etc is all factory farmed). Spanish healthcare is in reality not that different to UK- there are still long waits etc. The idea that it is superior is more based on the fact that many Brits live in small towns in the south where individual practices deal with less people. In larger cities like Madrid etc healthcare is high up on Spanish people's concerns and is always a political issue. Employment is always a problem in Spain and to be honest without Spanish and a specific profession you will struggle to find even the most rudimentary work to a family. Whereas in UK it is easy to get work in a supermarket or cleaner - this is not going to be available to you without good Spanish and even these jobs are very competitive. However if you are fluent in something like a Scandinavian language then call centre work is available as many Norwegian and Swedish call centres now are based in Spain. As for crime - today on the news is an area of Seville where there have been basically gun battles at night between clans where automatic high velocity bullets are being fired into buildings. And then there are actual groups of people shouting "***" ( deregatory name for gays) at the minister of state who is homosexual- this is pretty horrible to watch and realize that many Spanish people feel nothing wrong in shouting such hate. So it is not a perfect place at all.

Thank you again. I will do my homework. I need to read more opinions like yours, as they give me a different view. There is nothing wrong if people disagree with you -
it helps me stay grounded.

Cheers,

Jules

 

[Exx]

Hi all,

We are thinking about relocating to Spain /Costa Blanca in the near future.

We have 2 special needs children ages 7 and 13.

After spending a lot of time searching on Google - I couldn't find relevant answers.

Can someone please tell me what kind of help in Spain you can expect?

I mean: are there schools for such children, is there any financial for them and their carer?

Does anybody know what kind of help/ if any/ is waiting for those kids when they reach 18 years of age?

All your suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Jules

Hi Jules

Would love an update , i am in the same situation. Whst did you decide

Thank you

 

[Jules Worcester]

Hi Jules

Would love an update , i am in the same situation. Whst did you decide

Thank you

Hi,

I'm still doing my research, although it is so hard to get some real information from real people living in real Spain.
There is no plan B so you want to be 100% sure that once you move - there is no way back.
Hence, all this need time and preparation. Patience is the key.

Regards,

Jules

 

[Marisol_usa_spain]

Hi all,

We are thinking about relocating to Spain /Costa Blanca in the near future.

We have 2 special needs children ages 7 and 13.

After spending a lot of time searching on Google - I couldn't find relevant answers.

Can someone please tell me what kind of help in Spain you can expect?

I mean: are there schools for such children, is there any financial for them and their carer?

Does anybody know what kind of help/ if any/ is waiting for those kids when they reach 18 years of age?

All your suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Jules

Hi Jules, I was hoping to connect with you and ask for an update on your status. What have you learned and how have you been able to navigate the system in Spain?
I’m asking because I am strongly considering a permanent move to Spain. My children and I have dual citizenship, so I think that should help us settle in. However, both of my children (9 and 13) have special needs. One has autism and the other has Down syndrome. I’m running into some issue gathering information on google and was hoping you might have some advice or tips.

Thank you,
Marisol

 

[hflores789]

Hi all,

We are thinking about relocating to Spain /Costa Blanca in the near future.

We have 2 special needs children ages 7 and 13.

After spending a lot of time searching on Google - I couldn't find relevant answers.

Can someone please tell me what kind of help in Spain you can expect?

I mean: are there schools for such children, is there any financial for them and their carer?

Does anybody know what kind of help/ if any/ is waiting for those kids when they reach 18 years of age?

All your suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Jules

Jules
What information did you finally get on for special needs children?
Henry, USA

 

[xabiaxica]

Take a look at this

Alumnado con necesidad específica de apoyo educativo

Los alumnos con necesidades específicas de apoyo educativo pueden tener altas capacidades, dificultades de aprendizaje o haberse incorporado tarde,...

educagob.educacionfpydeportes.gob.es

 

[Jules Worcester]

Hi Jules, I was hoping to connect with you and ask for an update on your status. What have you learned and how have you been able to navigate the system in Spain?
I’m asking because I am strongly considering a permanent move to Spain. My children and I have dual citizenship, so I think that should help us settle in. However, both of my children (9 and 13) have special needs. One has autism and the other has Down syndrome. I’m running into some issue gathering information on google and was hoping you might have some advice or tips.

Thank you,
Marisol

Hi Marisol,

sorry for late reply but I was on holiday.
To be honest - sometimes I feel more confused now as I was in the beginning of the search.
In the UK, it is pretty straight forward, and you can get information needed fast enough.
Anyway - search continuous and once I know something I'll be happy to share with all of you.

Sincerely,

Jules

 

[xabiaxica]

Hi Marisol,

sorry for late reply but I was on holiday.
To be honest - sometimes I feel more confused now as I was in the beginning of the search.
In the UK, it is pretty straight forward, and you can get information needed fast enough.
Anyway - search continuous and once I know something I'll be happy to share with all of you.

Sincerely,

Jules

There is lots of information in the link I posted in post #35 yesterday.

Clicking through from there, this is for the Comunidad Valenciana which covers the costa blanca arrea

Detección/Identificación - Inclusión Educativa - Generalitat Valenciana

ceice.gva.es

 

[Jules Worcester]

Jules
What information did you finally get on for special needs children?
Henry, USA

Hi Henry,

as I have mentioned to Marisol, finding information is a slow process,
surely different to the USA or UK.
The whole move to different country involves not only to find school for your children
but also the house, job for yourself and if your partner is the main carer for your special needs kids -
there is a question whether the state financial would be enough to help you live in Spain.
Thanks, Jules.