Dear Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion,

Under the right of access to documents in the EU treaties, as developed in Regulation 1049/2001, I am requesting documents which contain the following information:

I have been working in the UK for 30 years, contributing to the UK Social Security, and paying UK taxes.

I am a Spanish citizen (by birth), and I also have British nationality (through “Naturalization”, having lived in the UK for many years).

In July 2023 I started a “time-off work” period, in order to care for my mother (who is an elderly lady and also disabled).

During this time-off work period (for an initial period of three years, but it may be longer), I will live in Spain to be next to my mother.

In Spain, there is some legislation that regulates “time-off work”. Namely:

1) For retirement, permanent disability, death and survival, and maternity and paternity benefits, the first three full years of time-off work in order to care for a family member, are considered as if they were a “contributory period” in the National Insurance system.

2) Time-off work for caring for an elderly family member, in accordance with the legislation, contributes to the National Insurance during the first three years, and is taken into account for retirement purposes.

Consequently, I would like to request information on the following questions that I have, in order to facilitate my social integration, given my vulnerable situation -without a salary and becoming a non-professional carer for my mother-.

Question 1. Do the first three years of a time-off work period contribute to my National Insurance (i.e. retirement, unemployment…)?

Question 2. If a time-off work period contributes to the National Insurance during the first three years, in which Social Security System would contribute in my case: in the UK Social Security, in the Spanish Social Security, or in both?

Question 3. Are the first three years of a time-off work period considered as "active period” for contributory purposes (in Spanish it is called “situación de alta”)?

Question 4. If the time-off work period is considered as “active” for Social Security purposes, in which Social Security System would it be considered: in the UK Social Security, in the Spanish Social Security, or in both??

Question 5. For these purposes, what “contribution base” (in Spanish, it is called “base de contribución”) would be used during the time-off work: the same contribution base that has been used up to now, the minimum contribution base, the maximum contribution base, or a different contribution base?

I thank you very much in advance for your attention.

I look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards.

Yours faithfully.