Record numbers of the over-55s want to move abroad because they are fed up with Britain's soaring crime rates, its creaking economy and the rotten weather.

Research by the Foreign Office has revealed that just over four in ten of those approaching retirement are considering moving abroad. Freezing temperatures, coupled with the woeful economic situation which has seen interest rates on savings plummet and the cost of living soar, is behind the potential exodus, experts believe. Others are simply fed up with crime rates and are keen to flee the violence and antisocial behaviour which plague our streets.

To many of the post-war generation, Britain has lost its national identity and is unrecognisable from the country they grew up in, when fear of crime or being attacked in the home was so low that people would leave their back doors unlocked. Those who emigrate are allowed to claim their UK pension abroad and often get more for their money than they would at home. They also qualify for free healthcare, so long as the country they move to is part of the European Union.

Buying property in Crete is simple and as as safe as houses, but there are various costs to be aware of - which can vary depending on how you buy.

BUYING THROUGH AN ESTATE AGENT

In Greece the BUYER - that’s you - has to pay 2% commission. The vendor also has to pay 2%, but if buying from a local it’s not unheard of for the seller to say, “I don’t wish to participate” and you can end up having to pay for the lot!

On our example above you would have to pay 2,580€ as buyer’s fee to the estate agent.

PROPERTY COSTS

In Greece, lawyers do not draw up contracts. This is undertaken by the Government Notary who will also verify how much tax is to be paid – dependent upon location and size of land. Unlike the UK where you buy the deeds to a house, Greek law is different. The contract, supported by a topographic survey, drawn and registered by an official structural engineer, goes into great lengths to describe the specific

Research by the Foreign Office has revealed that 42% of those over 55 in the UK are planning to leave these shores. It’s small wonder. With the prospect of receiving a decimated pension, people are left with no alternative but to continue working, or spend the rest of their life counting the pennies into a miserable old age.

Typically a couple will receive a state pension of around £690 per month in the UK. It doesn’t take much working out to see that once you’ve paid the main living costs there is not much left over to feed and clothe yourself.

Those moving overseas do so because of the weather and the chance to enjoy a far better quality of life. Crete is a haven for Brits who move there because of the glorious weather - 320 days of sun each year – no freezing cold winters - the lowest crime rate in the EU – and friendly and welcoming locals.

So could you really live on an old age pension in Crete?

Taking average costs for a couple living in a two bedroom detached house we have separated the annual running costs of a house, both in the UK and in Crete. To simplify matters

we have converted euros into sterling. Thus, like for like, the figures show you would be saving on out goings in the region of £2,675 by living in Crete.

The main reason for this is due to massive savings on fuel costs. Due to the temperate climate in Crete, you don’t generally need heating on until the evenings and then only over a four month period. Furthermore, for several months of the year water is heated for FREE, from your solar water heating system. And unlike the UK, in Crete there is no large council tax or TV license either. (A charge of a few euros is hidden within every utility bill).

The annual UK state pension equates to £8,280. On our typical expenditure above, that means you have £3,730 left over in the UK – or £6,405 if you live in Crete.

On your state pension in the UK that means an average budget of £310 left over per month to feed, clothe yourself and enjoy life. However, in Crete you’d be wondering what to do with £534 every month.

SHOPPING

Without being extravagant in the UK you would probably need to spend all your £309 on food

and housekeeping – which leaves zilch for clothes or going out. In Crete a monthly shop, full of goodies, would set you back around £280 – and that leaves £254, each and every month to indulge yourself. Eating out at a village taverna, with house wine, would set you back around £20 or so, per couple. That means you could afford to eat out twice every week and still have around £100 left over from your pension each month.

PROPERTY

Moving to Crete requires careful planning with one eye on the future. Living out in the wilds on acres of land could well end up a nightmare. As you get older you need to be a short stroll away from amenities and close to a bus service should you be unable to drive.

Snobby Homes is a leading builder in western Crete who design their homes to appeal especially to the UK market. Their properties have a high specification and they proudly claim to provide new build detached homes at the lowest price to be found in Crete. What’s more their prices are all-inclusive of purchase costs, taxes and legal fees – so you know precisely what to budget for. Want to find out more? Just go to www.snobbyhomes.co.uk to see for yourself.

For minor ailments you can do no better than ask the local chemist, who is trained to advise and recommend medication. He will also take your blood pressure too. Visitors from the UK are often staggered to find they can buy their prescribed medication over the counter at the local chemist, sometimes below the cost of a prescription charge in the UK.

Most large villages have a Medical Centre, where a Doctor will treat you, although it has to be said you will quite often be sent to see the Pathological Doctor (equivalent to a GP) in the nearest large hospital.

DON'T YOU HAVE TO PAY

If you are of pensionable age then you are entitled to FREE medical care and hospital care. Register with IKA to obtain an IKA Health Book, and you will be allocated the name of a local Doctor. By telephoning 184 – the national appointments telephone line – you can also arrange to be seen by a specialist consultant. You will not be required to pay for medical treatment, some medication such as insulin is free and prescriptions given under the IKA scheme may be taken to any chemist where you will be charged just 25% of the full cost.

While hospitals have excellent medical facilities, you should remember that personal patient care in Greek hospitals is not undertaken by nurses. Culturally patients are looked after by family members who may even sleep in a chair beside the bed. You can of course pay privately for a nurse if you prefer.

Hospital is never a place of enjoyment – and being in a foreign country and not being able to speak the language does little to help the stress and worry of an operation. Of the several Brits we know who have had surgical procedures, they have nothing but praise for

the treatment they received from the Greek national health system. Unlike the UK there are no significant delays waiting for an operation and no risk from catching MRSA either.

I DON’T QUALIFY FOR FREE MEDICAL CARE. WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?

If your main residence is in the UK you can apply for an E121 Form from the Post Office. This card provides free hospital and medical care in Greece on a temporary basis.

If you intend to reside permanently in Greece you have two options.

PAY AS YOU GO

 Visit a local doctor – the equivalent of a GP – and you will be charged around 30€ for the consultation and a prescription. Arrange to see a specialist consultant and the fee is around 50€ plus the cost of any tests required. These are obtainable from a clinic – blood and urine tests, x-rays, ultra-sound, MRI scans etc. The charge for an MRI scan for example is around 240€ which would normally cost several hundred pounds in the UK. In Greece you generally get results within 48 hours. The cost of an operation such as a hysterectomy for example would cost in the region of 4,000€ -

which includes all surgery costs, private room, nursing care, medication and aftercare consultation.

PRVATE HEALTH INSURANCE?

IMPORTANT POINT While you can receive private health insurance cover for life, you cannot be older than 60 years and six months before first applying for cover. Over this age you will be unable to take out private insurance cover.

There are many packages on offer from basic cover to the whole nine yards. A top of the range insurance from the Agrotiki Bank for example, provides cover - for a couple - and costs 2,200€ per annum. For that, you are covered for GP, specialist consultant, surgery, private room, nursing care, post-operative care, medication and clinical tests. A cheaper package of around 1,000€ per annum, for a couple, gives you ‘hospitalisation’ cover of surgery costs and medical care.

HOSPITAL EMERGENCIES?

 For any emergency go to the Accident and Emergency Department – at your nearest hospital. Emergency treatment in the hospitals is usually good, you rarely have to wait too long to be seen and doctors normally speak some English. You should show your health card, IKA book or private health insurance. You will be required to pay a small cost for some tests, such as x-rays - about 5€ each – but if you are not covered by IKA, or don’t have private health insurance, you will be required to pay full costs for any tests.

All in all – no matter where you are in the world - nobody relishes the idea of hospitals. Just take solace from the fact that living the Greek lifestyle is supposed to mean you will live a longer and healthier life!

When you retire, you'll still be able to claim your State Pension while living in Crete - and still receive the yearly index-linked increases as the UK has a social security agreement with Greece that includes state pensions.

If you live outside the EU, in places such as Australia or Canada, you won’t be entitled to the increases that normally happen yearly. However, if you return to live in the UK, your State Pension will be increased to current levels.

HOW THE STATE PENSION IS PAID IF YOU LIVE IN CRETE

Your State Pension can be paid directly into one of the following:-

Payment in sterling direct to your bank or building society in the UK.

Payment in euros, without exchange rate charge, direct to a bank in Crete.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

Your State Pension is paid into your elected account every 4 or 13 weeks. For small amounts of pension, under £5 per week, annual payments may be made during the first week in December.

IMPORTANT

 If you divide your time between the UK and abroad you'll have to choose which country you want your State Pension paid into. You can't choose to have it paid in one country for part of the year, and a different country for the rest of the year.

If you decide to go back to live in the UK. In this situation, you can ask for your State Pension to be paid into a UK bank account.

PAYING TAX ON YOUR STATE PENSION

Your tax position will depend on whether you're classed as 'non-UK resident' for tax purposes the country in which you're living. If you spend part of your time in the UK and part abroad you're likely to be classed as a UK resident. If you move abroad permanently, you're likely to be classed as a non-UK resident.

If you are a non-resident your tax position depends on whether you live in a country with a 'double taxation agreement' with the UK. As this includes Greece you won't have to pay UK tax on your State Pension, but it could be taxable in Crete.

It's a good idea to get advice about paying tax on your State and private pensions if you live abroad by contacting a local accountant in Crete experienced in Greek and UK tax laws.

WHO TO CONTACT BEFORE YOU MOVE

 If you're moving to Crete to live, you'll need to advise the "Pension Service", "HM Revenue and Customs", "National Insurance Contributions Office" and your "Tax Office" of your new address in Crete.

WINTER FUEL PAYMENTS

You can claim these payments in certain circumstances. To qualify, you must have been entitled to the payment when you were living in the UK. Providing you first received this in the UK, then currently the payment will still be paid after you have moved to Crete.

LIVING IN CRETE BEFORE YOU HAVE RECEIVED YOUR STATE PENSION?

The Pension Service will usually send you a form about four months before you reach State Pension age. This form asks about any insurance and residence you may have in other countries. If you're less than three months away from State Pension age and you've not received this form, it's advisable to get in touch with the International Pensions Centre (IPC).

Living in Crete you should claim as follows:

If you have worked in Crete your claim for your UK State Pension should be made through the Greek pension institution.

If you have not worked in Greece you should claim your UK State Pension direct from the International Pension Centre, unless you have worked in another EEA country since leaving the UK, in which case you should make your claim through the last institution you were insured with.

Contact the International Pension Centre:

International Pension Centre

Tyneview Park

Newcastle Upon Tyne

NE98 1BA

United Kingdom.

In research conducted by the Foreign Office, the promise of better weather is the main reason people gave for wanting to move overseas. Crete has a wonderful climate with 320 days of sunshine and no freezing winters - why consider anywhere else? Some are simply fed up with crime rates and are keen to flee the violence and antisocial behaviour which plague our streets. To many of the post-war generation, Britain has lost its national identity and is unrecognisable from the country they grew up in, when fear of crime or being attacked was so low that people would leave their back doors unlocked. In local villages life is still like that in Crete. In fact Greece has the lowest crime rate in the EU.

LIVING THE LIFE

Moving overseas is a big adventure and being forced out of your UK comfort zone, adds a little excitement that creates a real zest for life. Generally life is sweet and maybe you will only bump on bureaucracy a couple of times a year - but when you do, time slows down.

Normally time is your own, you’re free to do what interests you most. Buy books from Amazon on-line and they’ll reach you normally within 3-4 days. Everything you can think of is now available in Crete - and if it isn’t - or it’s cheaper in the UK, buy on-line and get it delivered by Crete Express, in Peterborough. They have twice monthly trips to Crete and charge £29 for parcels up to 3 cubic feet.

Spend time watching TV? Bring your SKY box with you to get all SKY channels, plus ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. If you have a Wii, you can even get BBC Player. There’s no problem in watching football or keeping up with the Soaps. Concerned about accessing the internet? No worries, broadband is readily available.

There’s no doubt living in Crete will give you a new lease of life. Villagers will welcome you to spend time in their company. You may not know Greek - they may not speak English, but with a lot of laughter and hand waving, somehow you communicate.

In western Crete the region is not so dependent upon tourism. It generates more income through growing olives, grapes and citrus fruits. While there are many Brits who have moved here, there are none of the mass ex-pat enclaves that you find elsewhere on the island. Consequently you can dip in to busy places such as the old stone city of Chania, maybe meet up with friends in a tourist area and then head back to the quiet of your village.

Living in Crete means you can please yourself. You make a life that suits you. Just enjoy it.

WHAT’S MY POSTAL ADDRESS

Normally it’s the same as everyone else’s! The closest it gets is your name and the village where you live. Until you get to know your local

postman your post will be left at the local shop or Kafenion.

DRIVING IN CRETE

If you are a holder of a valid UK driving license this is all you need. You do not have to pass a Greek driving test. However, currently UK drivers have to pass a fitness test from their doctor when they reach 70. Bear this in mind and make arrangements when you go back for a holiday.

MAKING A GREEK TAX RETURN

Just as in the UK, you are legally required to file a completed tax return EVERY year. Find a local accountant in Crete, with experience of both UK and Greek law and he will do everything for you. All you need to show him is your passport, copy of your house contract, the details of your car and/or boat if you have bought these in Crete - plus the pink slips you need to obtain from your Greek bank, verifying whatever amount of sterling you brought into the country from the UK.

REGISTERING FOR THE GREEK HEALTH SYSTEM

Ah, this is where you do give up a few hours of your life! If you receive a UK State pension, you need to go to the local IKA office in Chania, taking with you passport and the S1 Form the UK Pension Service will send you. Here, it’s a take a ticket and wait system. Take a flask and sandwiches. Eventually you will be called and after due deliberation and a lot of stamping of documents you will be given an IKA book entitling you to free health and hospital care. When buying medication the chemist needs to add his stamp to allow you to buy at the special rate for holders of IKA.