An uncertain future in the sun

Jackie Walsh of Manchester wrote to the BBC News website about the problems her father was facing in his retirement abroad.

Three years ago Jim Crook left for the sunshine of Tenerife. But his dream was shaken by the onset of Alzheimer's.

And worse was to come when his family discovered Jim would not be able to get the kind of support he could expect in the UK. If you have any other story ideas - send them to the BBC using the form at the bottom of the page.

Jim Crook has been living in Tenerife for three years

Jim is one of almost a million Brits who've decided to find a place in the sun to retire.

"Well obviously the first thing I like about Tenerife is the weather. And the second thing is the people. If the weather's nice the people are nice. One follows the other," he says.

Jim is 78 and was in good health when he moved. But a year ago he started to develop Alzheimer's disease. It means he forgets to eat, forgets to sleep and quite often gets lost when he goes for walks.

The police in Tenerife have found him three times in the middle of the night lost and confused.

He's paid his taxes all his life. He should be entitled to all the benefits Jackie Walsh, Jim's daughter

Back home in Manchester Jim's daughter Jackie is worried sick. She's been looking at her Dad's finances and he can't afford a private carer.

But what has horrified Jackie is the discovery that Jim can't get the benefits he would have if he still lived in the UK.

"He's paid his taxes all his life," Jackie says.

"He should be able to get carers or attendance allowance and all the benefits to employ somebody to look after him. He should be entitled to that money."

And if Jim still lived in Manchester he would qualify for benefits like a carer's or attendance allowance.

But like everyone who's a pensioner and registers abroad Jim is only entitled to what the locals - in this case Spanish nationals - can get.

Jackie Walsh is considering taking her father back to Manchester

His pension is paid in Tenerife and he can get free health care. But social care is a different story.

Jane Coleman is a former NHS nurse who moved to Tenerife six years ago. She spotted a gap in the market and now provides home help for 12 Euros an hour.

"They have no system of district nursing over here," she says.

"They don't think district nursing is important. The culture is for families to look after their own."

From the cradle to the grave?

One of Jane's patients is Mike Welsh who moved to Tenerife 17 years ago. Mike had a stroke last year. He pays for Jane's visits out of his savings and his services pension.

But he says it's a struggle and he feels let down by his own Government.

"The one promise of course was from the cradle to the grave," says Mike.

"And we were led to believe this. Not today."

People choose to come to Spain from the UK and there has to be some responsibility on individuals to look after themselves David Ward, British Consul in Tenerife

Last year Age Concern had 12,000 calls from elderly people asking about the cost of care abroad.

The charity says they frequently have to arrange for individuals in an isolated, destitute state to move back to the UK and into residential care. And they say with the numbers of people flooding in, the situation is going to get worse.

But the British Consul in Tenerife David Ward says although he is concerned about older people who end up in difficulty, it is important for people to plan carefully before they move abroad.

The police have found Jim three times lost in the middle of the night

"People choose to come to Spain from the UK for a different lifestyle and there has to be some responsibility on individuals to look after themselves and to think ahead."

In Manchester Jim's daughter Jackie is now thinking of bringing her Dad back home. But she is nervous about moving him.

"He gets confused with the slightest change in Tenerife.

"So to bring him home, well you can imagine he would get worse and worse. It would kill him to put him in a home here."

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Your comments

They should be entitled to claim all benefits that are due to people who live in the UK Ms M. A. Walker, Northampton

Yes - if a person moves abroad to live then they should be entitled to claim all benefits that are due to people who live in the UK. They should also be entitled to the annual increase in the state pension. They have paid into the system over their working lives and should not be treated like second class citizens if they decide to move abroad. I intend to retire to New Zealand and will now be looking very carefully at their retirement schemes and the financial assistance that is available (if any.
Ms M. A. Walker, Northampton

When living in a foreign country you go by their rules. My wife and I belong to two clubs that look after old people when ill. Our local health service is fine and now they are getting doctors and nurses who speak English. I am fed up with people whinging about Spain and its quaint ways. It's a great life, cheap, good weather and loads of things to do. We have been here for over 11 years and love it. Don't knock Spain if you watch what you are doing it's the life to lead.
Ken Thorn, Benitachell, Spain

I think after working all our lives my wife and I should have any care paid for if we retire abroad. We are hoping to retire to Malaysia and it would be much cheaper to get care there than here. It would save money. It would be just like the NHS sending patients abroad to receive medical treatment!
Alan Pywell, Derby, UK

We have a property in Spain, and will be retiring there soon. We have paid into the British health system throughout our life without fail, and feel that we should be covered by them wherever we decide to live
Reg Betts, Dereham, Norfolk

The standard of health care in our part of Spain is brilliant. Access to excellent specialist help and hospital and local health centre treatment certainly matches, and is often better than, that in UK. However, after care seems to devolve onto traditional extended family self-help. Nobody seems to have made the point that Spanish citizens living in UK are entitled to all the medical after care they require. We are lucky enough to have retained a small house in UK, 'just in case'.
Peter & Sandra Routledge, Tarragona, Spain

You live in a country and you must abide by their rules Alan, Warsaw, Poland

I left the UK and have residence in Poland. I paid my Nat Ins dues for years and I get a state pension. I also, because of this, am entitled to health care here in Poland. But NOT in the UK unless there is an emergency. I am well aware of what I'm in for and know my responsibilities. A year ago I broke my ankle and had a couple of operations using the Polish health care system. It works! However for illnesses such as cancer etc, I will need the help of my family here as do all Poles who fall sick. You live in a country and you must abide by their rules. No good saying that you paid in so you're entitled. It just does not work that way.
Alan, Warsaw, Poland

Either Britain supports its ex-pat retirees and forsakes the foreign ones who come here, or vice-versa. The country can't afford to pay both. This is why we have an agreement with other EU countries which basically says we can all retire where we like, but we get the benefits of the country we are in. All these whingers demanding their "rights" - if you want the care so much, stay in Britain! You can't have it both ways. Nice weather or decent healthcare - you choose.
Fred Bloggs, Falkirk, UK

People are missing the point! This gentleman IS entitled to what the locals are entitled to. Tenerife does not provide home care because families take care of their own. If you choose to move to another country because you want a different (read: better) lifestyle you have to accept that some things are worse. I moved here from Australia. I would not expect the British government to provide the same services I would have received in Australia.
Kate, London

My partner and I will be moving to Spain in 5 to 7 years time. When you are planning to move to another country you don't think of things like that happening to you. I do believe that people should be given help as they have worked all their adult life and paid their taxes.
Sharon Fitten

People who move abroad after retirement have paid into the system just like everyone else and care should be available. How many people are coming into this country and getting benefits straight away when they haven't paid anything into the system.
Stuart, London

This family didn't plan this trip at all. They appear to have made basic mistakes which can only be put down to a lack of planning. If you're going to live abroad, which nowadays is an easy thing to do, you must research the local health care provision and other such services.
Matt Provost, Gibraltar

Why should you expect Britain to carry on looking after you? Jo Edkins, Cambridge, UK

If you leave Britain to live in another country, then why should you expect Britain to carry on looking after you? I feel very sorry for these old people, but surely their relatives should explain the situation to them before they go. The situation has been well documented in the past for those who care to do some research on such a major life change. Retirement isn't just some sort of super holiday.
Jo Edkins, Cambridge, UK

Why is it that people from EU countries can come here and claim NHS services and benefits even though they have never paid taxes? If we wish to live abroad then we should be entitled to claim as most of us have worked all our lives and paid into the system.
Wendy Osman, Welling, Kent

Why do the British want to live in other countries outside the UK? Britain is so beautiful and people are so nice, I wish I could turn back the clock and go back to living there. The snag is our pension here is equivalent to the cost of living over here, so going back to UK would be a hardship for us. Besides, the heat in the summer months balances the cold winter months in UK. So stick to the devil you know rather than the devil you don't.
Paula, St Venera, Malta

I will be emigrating at the end of this month and am fully aware how this move affects my NHS benefits. The government think it fair to continue to tax my pension but to withhold the benefits the taxes I pay contribute to. I find it nothing short of banditry.
Vince Thompson, UK

Why shouldn't the government provide some kind of support for these people? If you pay your taxes all your life then surely it's for a reason? If you hold a British passport then you should be entitled to help from the British government wherever you are. It seems all to easy for non UK residents to come into the UK and receive free medical treatment courtesy of our NHS, so why shouldn't our own residents, be they past or present, not receive some kind of support? It's all very well telling someone to plan ahead, but how on earth are you meant to 'expect' to develop a disease such as Alzheimer's?
Jonathan Kitching, Durham, UK

How would Jim have fared if he had moved to an EEC country instead of Tenerife? I plan to move to France in the future and wonder how my situation would compare with that of Jim. I know that I would be entitled to use the French health care system which would credit me with a percentage of charges and that I would require to take out top-up insurance, but how about long term residential care etc.
John Knutton, Sleaford