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Retirement Migration, The ‘Other Story’: Returning from Spain

Retirement Migration, The ‘Other Story’: Returning from Spain. Kelly Hall. Older British People in Spain. International retirement migration to Spain; approx 100,000 British nationals receive state pension in Spain. ‘Older British people in Spain’ – not a clearly identifiable group:

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Retirement Migration, The ‘Other Story’: Returning from Spain

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  1. Retirement Migration, The ‘Other Story’:Returning from Spain Kelly Hall

  2. Older British People in Spain • International retirement migration to Spain; approx 100,000 British nationals receive state pension in Spain. • ‘Older British people in Spain’ – not a clearly identifiable group: • Definitions of ‘old age’ (55+, state pension age?) • Move between UK and Spain • Under registration

  3. Living the Dream....?

  4. The Reality...!

  5. Health and Social Care in Spain • Free healthcare for British pensioners living in Spain. • Entitled to same level of care as Spanish people. • Hospital care in Spain is very good. But.... • Little aftercare on leaving hospital. • Limited social care – few residential homes. • Prescription charges recently introduced. Implications... • Older people returning to the UK following health problems/crisis.

  6. My Research • Narrative in-depth interviews used to explore the lived experiences of vulnerable, older British people in Spain (2007). • Recruited through Age Concern España in Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol and Mallorca. • 20 ‘vulnerable’ households interviewed. • All lived in Spain for at least 9 months of the year. • 7 were returning to the UK.

  7. Ongoing Research • Charles Betty - PhD on return migration from Spain to the UK (year 1). • Research on: • Triggers prompting return • Experiences of returning • Help and support for returnees • Qualitative study with possibility to ‘track’ returnees. • Lack of research to date on ‘returnees’.

  8. Returning for Care • Return following a decline in health or health crisis. • Lack of after care when leaving hospital. • Lack of suitable care homes in Spain. • Only available to those with financial resources to pay.

  9. Harry (86, Widowed) • Lives in a Spanish nursing home but speaks no Spanish: “I had my breakfast…I hate the food here, it’s terrible I just do not like it...I hate it here.” “I wish I had been in a nursing home in England. It would be better than this. I could speak the language, I would have someone to talk to. I have nobody to talk to here, I talk to myself.” (Harry, 86, Widowed)

  10. Returning for Support • No family in Spain – need informal care and support. • Isolation and loneliness • Following death of partner • Friends die or return to the UK • Physical isolation from rural location (away from support/health services) • Language and cultural barriers (limits access to and use of support services). • Nostalgia, boredom and apathy. 

  11. Returning for Financial Help • No longer cheaper to live in Spain. • Higher living costs – food, utility bills, community fees, prescription charges. • Exchange rate fluctuations (1.5 to 1.0 euro/£). • Many living on basic state pension with few savings. • Return to access welfare support - pension credit, housing support. • ...But weak Spanish housing market – can’t sell house.

  12. Elsa, 78, Widowed “I wouldn’t be able to afford to go back [to the UK]. And certainly not into where I want to go because they are very, very expensive, very expensive, so I am afraid I will have to spend my last years here”.

  13. Concluding Comments • Increasing numbers of older British people returning from Spain. • Move of ‘choice’ – pre-planned. • Move of ‘necessity’ – no plan. Occurs when can no longer live independently and no support systems in place in Spain. BUT... • No immediate access to care and financial support. • Habitual residency test. • Very physically, emotionally and financially traumatic.

  14. References • ACKERS, L., and DWYER P., 2002. Senior citizenship? Retirement, migration and welfare in the European Union. Bristol: The Policy Press. • AGE CONCERN, 2007. When the sun sets on retirement abroad. Age Concern Conference, London, 17 May 2007. • COLDRON, K., and ACKERS, L., 2009. European citizenship, individual agency and the challenge to social welfare systems: a case study of retirement migration in the European Union. Policy and Politics, 37(4), 573-589. • DIRECTGOV, 2013. Claiming benefits if you live, move or travel abroad[online]. Available at: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/FinancialSupport/Introductiontofinancialsupport/DG_073387 • HARDILL, I., SPRADBERRY, J., ARNOLD-BOAKES, J. and MARRUGAT, L. M. 2005. Severe health and social care issues among British migrants who retire to Spain, Ageing and Society, 25: 769-783. • KING, R., WARNES, T., and WILLIAMS, A., 2000. Sunset lives: British retirement migration to the Mediterranean. Oxford: Berg. • O'REILLY, K., 2000. The British on the Costa del Sol: Transnational identities and local communities. London: Routledge. • SRISKANDARAJAH, D., and DREW, C., 2006. Brits abroad: mapping the scale and nature of British emigration. London: Institute for Public Policy Research. • WARNES, A.M., and WILLIAMS, A., 2006. Older migrants in Europe: A new focus for migration studies. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 32 (8), 1257-1281. • All pictures from Google images.

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