25.05.11 15:32:47
[Page 'Costa Blanca News_25' - Dialog40cn710 | Costa Nachrichten | Costa Blanca News | Costa Blanca News | News] of emilym (Black arch)
COSTA NEWS, May 27-June 2, 2011
I’ve been living in Spain for some years, but have now decided to return to the UK. Do I need to inform anyone before leaving? If you intend to return to the UK permanently, it is important to de-register properly with the Spanish authorities so that there is no confusion as to where you are a resident. Typically you should consider de-registering with the local town hall (‘Padrón’), with the Spanish National Police (Residencia) and your local Health Centre. You can de-register simply by going to the same offices you went to register. If you have worked in Spain, you can also ask for a record of your employment history in Spain. This is called a ‘Vida Laboral’ and can be obtained from the Seguridad Social website (www.seg-social.es) or in person at any main Seguridad Social office. I live in Spain and am expecting a baby. Can I register the birth with the UK, even if my baby is born in Spain? Yes, you can. The Consular section of the British Consulate-General in Madrid is able to register the birth of a British national provided the event took place in Spain. Registration is not compulsory, but it has the advantage of ensuring that a permanent record of the event is kept at the General Register Office in the United Kingdom. Certified copies of consular birth and death entries may also be obtained. Such certifi-
cates are produced in English. For more information, you can visit our website ukinspain.fco.gov.uk where you can get copies of the forms and information on how to apply. However, the most important thing to do is to register the birth at the Civil Registry Office nearest to the place of birth or residence, by one of the child's parents. This should be done in the first eight days following the child's birth. However, this period can be extended to 30 calendar days if there is a justified reason for the delay. If you miss this time limit with the Spanish authorities, you may have problems getting the birth registered. You also may have to start an administration procedure with the Spanish authorities, which will be long and expensive. This can affect your child's access to state health, nursery or school. I’ve heard that once I am over 80, I can get a free passport. Is this the case? If so, where should I send my application? You can apply for a free passport if you were born on or before September 2 1929. This applies to all British passport holders and is in recognition of all the sacrifices made by World War II veterans and civilians. If you were born before this date, you can call your nearest Consulate (in this case Alicante) and we will send you the correct form to fill in. However, please bear in mind that the passport takes a minimum of 10 weeks to process as it has to be sent to the UK; therefore you have to make sure you give yourself
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plenty of time to get the application processed before you need to travel. If you were born after September 2 1929, even if you are over 80, you will have to pay for your passport and apply as normal.
Carte blanche for corruption
Q: I live in Spain but will going back to the UK this summer to visit. Do I need to take a European Health Insurance Card with me? Yes. When travelling out of your country of residence to another European country you should always take with you your blue European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This card entitles the holder to access state-provided medical treatment that becomes necessary during their temporary stay. It is still recommended to have travel insurance as well though as the EHIC does not cover all costs, such as repatriation. In terms of applying for your blue European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), this will depend on where you live and how you access healthcare. If you are a UK resident you can apply online at www.ehic.org.uk or by calling 0845 606 2030. If you live in Spain and access healthcare through an S1 form (previously known as E121/E106/E109) you should call the Overseas Healthcare Team in the UK on 0044 191 218 1999 to apply for one. Otherwise, speak to your nearest INSS (Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social) office in Spain to see if you are entitled to a Spanish-issued one. If you want to ask the British Consul a question, just send an email to consul@cbnews.es and each month the Consul will answer a selection of readers’ questions. More information on the British Consulate and living in Spain can be found on the British Embassy website ukinspain.fco.gov.uk
Those who are greedy and corrupt will be sleeping easy in their beds this week. The reason? The message sent out by the electorate in the Valencia Region on Sunday was that allegations of corruption - however serious they may be - are not a problem. In the regional parliament, members of the governing Partido Popular (PP) face charges over the illegal financing of the party and the infamous Gürtel case. The regional president himself, Francisco Camps, is accused of receiving expensive suits and other gifts from the corruption network. No one has been found guilty over the allegations – it is likely to be some time before those who are accused have their day in court. However, even with these extremely serious charges hanging over the regional PP, they still won a landslide victory. In fact they picked up one more seat, bettering their result of 2007. The same has happened in the provincial parliament. Also run by the PP. Here the president José Joaquín Ripoll faces a number of charges over the rubbish collection contract scandal. Again these are allegations. But the prov-
READERS’ VOICE Will you be using the new Torrevieja-Alicante airport bus service? Are you happy with the 6.79 euro fare and the timetable?
Melanie Wonder
Torreta III, Torrevieja
Well first of all the price is much cheaper than I thought it would be, a return journey for two people will still work out at less than half that of a taxi, legal or illegal. I understand that the journey will take longer, but seeing as it is a one-stop express service it will not take a lifetime to get there. With the two hourly service it is easy to plan in advance and really reduce expenditure. Take a look at it this way, the amount that you save using the bus instead of a taxi, will many times be more than the cost of the flight itself. I will of course use it.
Carl Jeffers
Catral
I don’t live in the area, but do work near the town centre. Regularly I get holidaymakers coming in asking me how to get to the airport. This is a great response to the needs of the residents and holidaymakers and could be good for tourism in the area as well. If I lived in the area I would definitely use the service. I travel solo a lot and these are real savings compared to getting a taxi. Money that could be spent on the holiday or excursion itself. Finally a good incentive for people to come to the area and a real selling point. Many people book their flights and holidays well in advance to benefit from discounts. If they are lucky, the savings using the bus could pay for or heavily subsidise the price of a flight.
Dave Jones
incial PP will see their seats rise from 18 to 20. The message from the people is loud and clear. Possible corruption is not a good enough reason to stop supporting a political party. There wasn’t even a protest vote. At a town hall level, in many municipalities, the results have followed the same pattern. Of the parties which have been embroiled in allegations of corruption or illegal building scandals, very few have been punished by the electorate. Take for example the former Socialist party (PSOE) mayor of Catral, José Rodrígez Leal. A total of 1,270 illegal homes were built in the municipality under his tenure. He was kicked out of the PSOE, but set up his own party. On Sunday they won three seats out of a possible 13. Does that mean that a quarter of the population of Catral hanker after the construction of more illegal homes? However, a couple of municipalities have bucked the trend. One of these is Polop where the PP had its majority wiped out. The fact that ex-PP mayor Juan Cano is accused of being involved in the killing of his predecessor, Alejandro Ponsoda appears to have caused consternation among the voters. Another is Orihuela. The Partido Popular has governed for decades and there have been a succession of scandals over the years. These started
with former mayor Luis Cartagena who was eventually jailed for stealing cash given to the town hall by an order of nuns. Then his successor José Manuel Medina faced a number of charges, although he has since been cleared in many of the cases. The current PP team which governed from 20072011 under Mónica Lorente has also been hit by allegations of corruption. Three councillors were arrested and charged over the Brugal rubbish affair last year, along with the provincial president. Then it was revealed last month that Sra Lorente and seven councillors had been charged with corruption and embezzlement of public funds. It appears the PP in Orihuela may now have paid the price over these allegations. They have lost their majority and the opposition parties are in a position to form an alliance to govern. Just a couple of municipalities which have bucked the trend. This will not be enough for the young protesters who are camping out in the streets to demonstrate against a political class and system which they say does not represent them. The election results will do nothing to restore their faith in a system which they see as corrupt and decadent. Sunday, May 22 will only encourage the 15-M protesters to stay in the plazas around Spain. For ever and a day.
- Advertorial -
Eye-care advice for the over 60s As we age, our eyes undergo many changes and even those with 20:20 vision while young will most likely require glasses when they reach their 60s and 70s. While some changes are perfectly natural and nothing to worry about, older eyes are also more susceptible to certain issues, which if left undiagnosed and untreated can lead to irreversible damage and sometimes total vision loss. After the age of 60, it is vital that you schedule regular eye-tests to allow for early diagnosis of any problems and visit your optician if you notice any significant changes to your vision. Your optician can examine your eye, diagnose the problem and suggest the correct treatment or course of action to minimise any issues. They can also prescribe the right glasses to counteract the aging process and allow you to lead a full and active life. Optical chain Specsavers has 25 years of experience caring for their patients' eyes around the world. They have compiled a list of issues to look out for as you get older and how these conditions can be treated.
Cataracts Cataracts are common in over-60s. The lens becomes opaque, blurring vision and even leading to loss of sight if left untreated. Early on, the condition may cause near-sightedness and the
reduction in perception of blue colours. Surgery is the most effective way to restore vision.
Diabetic retinopathy Diabetes can cause tiny blood vessels to leak or burst, blurring sight and leaving dark spots on the field of vision. Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent loss of sight.
Floaters Tiny 'spots' or 'blobs' in the field or vision are often just harmless clusters of cells and will disappear without worry. If they persist, it is worth checking with an optician, however, as they may be a sign of another condition.
only when at an advanced stage. This loss of vision can never be recovered, so prompt diagnosis is essential. Treatment is via simple eye drops.
Macular degeneration In older people, the macula - the centre of the retina which is used for detailed vision - thins and occasionally bleeds. This can lead to distortion of, or even the loss of, central vision. The sufferer may also have trouble discerning colours. Peripheral vision remains unaffected, but central vision loss is serious, so early diagnosis and treatment is vital.
Glaucoma A build-up of fluid within the eye can increase pressure, which in turn damages the optic nerve. The loss of visual field often occurs gradually and slowly, and may be recognised by the sufferer
Specsavers has four Spanish stores where you can have your eyes checked by a fully-qualified, Englishspeaking Optician. Visit www.specsavers.es to find your nearest store.