Heading home after 35 years
Nov 19th 2014, 5:25 am
#46
Just Joined
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 4
Re: Heading home after 35 years
Hi Noordhang
Being a proud Welshman from the town of Merthyr Tydfil, I can tel u that you are totally correct when u mention about the houses being cheaper the closer u get to Wales, in fact the houses in Wales itself are still relatively cheap compared to rest of U.K.
There is of course a reason for this and its political but I dont want to discuss politics here.
It is a fantastic country and I would recommend it to any one (I am of course biased)
I hope to be back there pretty soon.
Being a proud Welshman from the town of Merthyr Tydfil, I can tel u that you are totally correct when u mention about the houses being cheaper the closer u get to Wales, in fact the houses in Wales itself are still relatively cheap compared to rest of U.K.
There is of course a reason for this and its political but I dont want to discuss politics here.
It is a fantastic country and I would recommend it to any one (I am of course biased)
I hope to be back there pretty soon.
Nov 19th 2014, 6:08 am
#47
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2010
Location: Cape Town
Posts: 65
Re: Heading home after 35 years
I wouldn't mind staying in a Caravan, but my b.h. could not live with the ablutions situation!! also I've read that in the winter they get bl**dy cold, although the new ones tend to be better insulated,
Caravans for me bring back memories of North Wales, of summers that were always warm, mind you that was over 50 years ago!! or am I just imagining it all ??
Caravans for me bring back memories of North Wales, of summers that were always warm, mind you that was over 50 years ago!! or am I just imagining it all ??
Nov 19th 2014, 7:16 am
#48
Just Joined
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 4
Re: Heading home after 35 years
Caravan sites on the South Wales coast r great.
Porthcawl, Tenby, Newquay amongst my favourites.All backed up with superb beaches.
Pendine Sands the biggest beach in the UK.
Port Eynon voted the best beach in UK, 3rd best in Europe and 7th best in the world.Not bad for a small country.
The beaches on the Gower Peninsula r the best u will anywhere on earth and most have caravan sites close by.
If caravaning is for you then I recommend it-u will not regret it.
Porthcawl, Tenby, Newquay amongst my favourites.All backed up with superb beaches.
Pendine Sands the biggest beach in the UK.
Port Eynon voted the best beach in UK, 3rd best in Europe and 7th best in the world.Not bad for a small country.
The beaches on the Gower Peninsula r the best u will anywhere on earth and most have caravan sites close by.
If caravaning is for you then I recommend it-u will not regret it.
Nov 19th 2014, 2:21 pm
#49
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 15
Re: Heading home after 35 years
If you have a lot of stuff its best to get a container and ship back. Otherwise it gets very expensive as there is no more boat shipping for small boxes, everything goes by air nowadays.
If you travel back by ship you can take unlimited luggage with you as long as it fits in your room on the ship. Something to consider as you can get a lot in suitcases
As far as household items we sold everything and will rebuy when we arrive in the UK, works out cheaper than shipping everything.
If you travel back by ship you can take unlimited luggage with you as long as it fits in your room on the ship. Something to consider as you can get a lot in suitcases
As far as household items we sold everything and will rebuy when we arrive in the UK, works out cheaper than shipping everything.
I am also in the process of moving back to the UK after 35 years in the US. I'm an RN trying to get my license prior to moving, the CNM ain't making it easy! I have also sent a form to the HM Revenue & Customs to recover my NINO, no joy in that department, they can't seem to find me. I was born, educated and worked in the UK before I moved to the US so I should have a number, is there anyone out there can help figure out this problem? Do you have any tips on shipping stuff back to the UK?
Nov 26th 2014, 1:59 pm
#50
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Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 15
Re: Heading home after 35 years
Arrived this morning via the QM2. Now that is the way to travel across, works out the same price as an air flight if you look for discounts and onboard credits and you can take as much luggage as you want.
Now what the heck am I going to do first..................Ooooh Pub on the corner
Now what the heck am I going to do first..................Ooooh Pub on the corner
Nov 26th 2014, 3:32 pm
#51
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,477
Re: Heading home after 35 years
Good luck Britwit.. I am going to do QM2 when it's my time to go home.. Keep us posted..
Nov 27th 2014, 4:59 am
#52
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 3
Re: Heading home after 35 years
Residency Rights
While the UK government won't deny a UK citizen entry into the country, you aren't necessarily granted the right to reside. However, in effect, it only comes up if you need to claim healthcare or any benefits within 3 months of arriving, or you want to arrange credit. I am British born and bred, left the UK to work because I couldn't find work here, and returned earlier this year on a visit to look after a relative with cancer. It turned out to be more than a visit as my husband became very ill and was in hospital for 6 months. We are still here, renting a flat. Because my husband is a pensioner, after many phone calls with the DWP to convince the NHS he was in receipt of pension, his hospital bills were paid. Mine were not. You lose all rights to NHS free treatment after 3 months away, so be prepared to pay when you return from beyond Europe. You also have no recourse to any benefits until at least 3 months are over, because of the residency rules. You have to prove you are 'oridinarily resident' in the UK, and they won't look at that until you've been in one place for three months - preferably with links to that area - and if you have savings of over 10,000 GBP, you are not entitled to any anyway. (6,000 GBP if you are under pension age) If you get sick and end up in a wheelchair, as my husband did, you are not entitled to things like attendance allowance or disability living allowance, because although they are not means-tested, the eligibility rues are that you must have been living in the UK for 2 out of the last 3 years.
Fortunately, we had savings to fall back on - not enough to buy a house - but enough to cover medical costs, rent a house and eat. If we had only had my husband's OAP, we would not have survived.
For anyone with low resources who is PLANNING a return to the UK (ours was unplanned!), I advise saving enough to live on for at least 6 months before attempting the move.
While the UK government won't deny a UK citizen entry into the country, you aren't necessarily granted the right to reside. However, in effect, it only comes up if you need to claim healthcare or any benefits within 3 months of arriving, or you want to arrange credit. I am British born and bred, left the UK to work because I couldn't find work here, and returned earlier this year on a visit to look after a relative with cancer. It turned out to be more than a visit as my husband became very ill and was in hospital for 6 months. We are still here, renting a flat. Because my husband is a pensioner, after many phone calls with the DWP to convince the NHS he was in receipt of pension, his hospital bills were paid. Mine were not. You lose all rights to NHS free treatment after 3 months away, so be prepared to pay when you return from beyond Europe. You also have no recourse to any benefits until at least 3 months are over, because of the residency rules. You have to prove you are 'oridinarily resident' in the UK, and they won't look at that until you've been in one place for three months - preferably with links to that area - and if you have savings of over 10,000 GBP, you are not entitled to any anyway. (6,000 GBP if you are under pension age) If you get sick and end up in a wheelchair, as my husband did, you are not entitled to things like attendance allowance or disability living allowance, because although they are not means-tested, the eligibility rues are that you must have been living in the UK for 2 out of the last 3 years.
Fortunately, we had savings to fall back on - not enough to buy a house - but enough to cover medical costs, rent a house and eat. If we had only had my husband's OAP, we would not have survived.
For anyone with low resources who is PLANNING a return to the UK (ours was unplanned!), I advise saving enough to live on for at least 6 months before attempting the move.
Nov 27th 2014, 7:35 am
#53
Bitter and twisted
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Upmarket
Posts: 17,503
Re: Heading home after 35 years
Residency Rights
While the UK government won't deny a UK citizen entry into the country, you aren't necessarily granted the right to reside. However, in effect, it only comes up if you need to claim healthcare or any benefits within 3 months of arriving, or you want to arrange credit. I am British born and bred, left the UK to work because I couldn't find work here, and returned earlier this year on a visit to look after a relative with cancer. It turned out to be more than a visit as my husband became very ill and was in hospital for 6 months. We are still here, renting a flat. Because my husband is a pensioner, after many phone calls with the DWP to convince the NHS he was in receipt of pension, his hospital bills were paid. Mine were not. You lose all rights to NHS free treatment after 3 months away, so be prepared to pay when you return from beyond Europe. You also have no recourse to any benefits until at least 3 months are over, because of the residency rules. You have to prove you are 'oridinarily resident' in the UK, and they won't look at that until you've been in one place for three months - preferably with links to that area - and if you have savings of over 10,000 GBP, you are not entitled to any anyway. (6,000 GBP if you are under pension age) If you get sick and end up in a wheelchair, as my husband did, you are not entitled to things like attendance allowance or disability living allowance, because although they are not means-tested, the eligibility rues are that you must have been living in the UK for 2 out of the last 3 years.
Fortunately, we had savings to fall back on - not enough to buy a house - but enough to cover medical costs, rent a house and eat. If we had only had my husband's OAP, we would not have survived.
For anyone with low resources who is PLANNING a return to the UK (ours was unplanned!), I advise saving enough to live on for at least 6 months before attempting the move.
While the UK government won't deny a UK citizen entry into the country, you aren't necessarily granted the right to reside. However, in effect, it only comes up if you need to claim healthcare or any benefits within 3 months of arriving, or you want to arrange credit. I am British born and bred, left the UK to work because I couldn't find work here, and returned earlier this year on a visit to look after a relative with cancer. It turned out to be more than a visit as my husband became very ill and was in hospital for 6 months. We are still here, renting a flat. Because my husband is a pensioner, after many phone calls with the DWP to convince the NHS he was in receipt of pension, his hospital bills were paid. Mine were not. You lose all rights to NHS free treatment after 3 months away, so be prepared to pay when you return from beyond Europe. You also have no recourse to any benefits until at least 3 months are over, because of the residency rules. You have to prove you are 'oridinarily resident' in the UK, and they won't look at that until you've been in one place for three months - preferably with links to that area - and if you have savings of over 10,000 GBP, you are not entitled to any anyway. (6,000 GBP if you are under pension age) If you get sick and end up in a wheelchair, as my husband did, you are not entitled to things like attendance allowance or disability living allowance, because although they are not means-tested, the eligibility rues are that you must have been living in the UK for 2 out of the last 3 years.
Fortunately, we had savings to fall back on - not enough to buy a house - but enough to cover medical costs, rent a house and eat. If we had only had my husband's OAP, we would not have survived.
For anyone with low resources who is PLANNING a return to the UK (ours was unplanned!), I advise saving enough to live on for at least 6 months before attempting the move.
For starters....as a citizen, of course , you have a right to reside.
.....and if you are resident you have a right to healthcare.
Can't be bothered to go through the rest of it.
Nov 27th 2014, 8:01 am
#54
Just Joined
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 3
Re: Heading home after 35 years
I agree - it does sound like nonsense, but the CAB clarify it nicely:
“If you're a British citizen you have an automatic right to reside in the UK, as well as in Ireland, Isle of Man and Channel Islands. This is known as the common travel area and you will also be considered to be habitually resident in the UK if you've been living in any of these places. You should not be subject to the test if you've simply been abroad on a long holiday. In these cases you should be treated as a 'returning resident'. However, if you've spent three months or more living or working abroad you could find yourself subject to the test when you return to the UK, particularly if you no longer have property or close family in the UK. You cannot be viewed as habitually resident until you've been living in the UK or elsewhere in the common travel area for at least three months.”
“Britons who live overseas for more than three months of the year currently lose their right to free health care at home, unless they have a medical emergency during a visit. The current qualifying test for free treatment is whether a person is habitually resident.”
Very unfair for expats who spend years paying NI!
“If you're a British citizen you have an automatic right to reside in the UK, as well as in Ireland, Isle of Man and Channel Islands. This is known as the common travel area and you will also be considered to be habitually resident in the UK if you've been living in any of these places. You should not be subject to the test if you've simply been abroad on a long holiday. In these cases you should be treated as a 'returning resident'. However, if you've spent three months or more living or working abroad you could find yourself subject to the test when you return to the UK, particularly if you no longer have property or close family in the UK. You cannot be viewed as habitually resident until you've been living in the UK or elsewhere in the common travel area for at least three months.”
“Britons who live overseas for more than three months of the year currently lose their right to free health care at home, unless they have a medical emergency during a visit. The current qualifying test for free treatment is whether a person is habitually resident.”
Very unfair for expats who spend years paying NI!
Nov 27th 2014, 8:21 am
#55
Was in Canada, now home.
Joined: Aug 2011
Location: Devon
Posts: 3,388
Re: Heading home after 35 years
I agree - it does sound like nonsense, but the CAB clarify it nicely:
“If you're a British citizen you have an automatic right to reside in the UK, as well as in Ireland, Isle of Man and Channel Islands. This is known as the common travel area and you will also be considered to be habitually resident in the UK if you've been living in any of these places. You should not be subject to the test if you've simply been abroad on a long holiday. In these cases you should be treated as a 'returning resident'. However, if you've spent three months or more living or working abroad you could find yourself subject to the test when you return to the UK, particularly if you no longer have property or close family in the UK. You cannot be viewed as habitually resident until you've been living in the UK or elsewhere in the common travel area for at least three months.”
“Britons who live overseas for more than three months of the year currently lose their right to free health care at home, unless they have a medical emergency during a visit. The current qualifying test for free treatment is whether a person is habitually resident.”
Very unfair for expats who spend years paying NI!
“If you're a British citizen you have an automatic right to reside in the UK, as well as in Ireland, Isle of Man and Channel Islands. This is known as the common travel area and you will also be considered to be habitually resident in the UK if you've been living in any of these places. You should not be subject to the test if you've simply been abroad on a long holiday. In these cases you should be treated as a 'returning resident'. However, if you've spent three months or more living or working abroad you could find yourself subject to the test when you return to the UK, particularly if you no longer have property or close family in the UK. You cannot be viewed as habitually resident until you've been living in the UK or elsewhere in the common travel area for at least three months.”
“Britons who live overseas for more than three months of the year currently lose their right to free health care at home, unless they have a medical emergency during a visit. The current qualifying test for free treatment is whether a person is habitually resident.”
Very unfair for expats who spend years paying NI!
My husband and I came back in July. Since then we've both received care from our GP and I have had care from the local hospital. We haven't had a problem.
Reading your first post, I suspect the problem you had occurred because your original reason for coming back was as a temporary visit to care for a relative, meaning that you were not 'ordinarily resident'. I've experienced this myself. In 2010 I spent five months in the UK caring for my mother. While I was here I had to see the doctor on my own account and had to pay privately.
Nov 29th 2014, 3:04 pm
#56
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 15
Re: Heading home after 35 years
Walked in to the Dr's office yesterday, said hello and gave all my new updated info to him and got my prescription filled already. Didn't seem to be a problem for me.
Nov 30th 2014, 8:33 am
#58
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 15
Re: Heading home after 35 years
Nov 30th 2014, 8:40 am
#59
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2010
Location: Cape Town
Posts: 65
Re: Heading home after 35 years
How did you go about obtaining a mailbox ?
Nov 30th 2014, 8:44 am
#60
Just Joined
Joined: Oct 2014
Location: Johannesburg
Posts: 22
Re: Heading home after 35 years
I do have addresses in the Uk, but no idea how to get an NHS card. I have applied for the NINO but they can't find my number from years ago, so I am still waiting to hear from them. Are these two items linked?