salgoud

For those senior (65+) retirees.

Do you plan to spend those last few years/Months of your ailing health/life in the Philippines or return back to your home country in those twilight years.

I understand the benefits of life in the Philippines, when your fit and well, but we all must pass on one day. How do we cope when were approaching those final days, managing the daily chores, hospital visits and costs, mobility, travel. etc.

Do most of you only retire and stay while healthy and fit, then return back home once serious health issues arise?. Or have you found that its not a problem at all and those later years are just as caring and comfortable as they would be back in your home country.

Interested in your experiences and expectations

PS. Average life of Filipino = 70 years. Average age of Westerner 83 years. do you think the average age of a Westerner Expat in the Philippines would decrees due to change of environment, diet, climate, etc?

spouse of scouse

Do you plan to spend those last few years/Months of your ailing health/life in the Philippines or return back to your home country in those twilight years.

Jerseygirl

Welcome to BE.

Are you wishing to retire to the Philippines or are your questions for research purposes?

mikemike

Not sure why the OP placed an age limit

FWIW

The only reason i would leave here is for the kids schooling

Financials are not an issue for us

So probably get burned and scattered here, but only when the day comes!!

Philosophical 11

I am 65+ but not in my ailing years. Looking after my health and I expect a good many years in front of me. However. There will become a time when perhaps a carer might well be required, and that will be dealt with by those around me here who are my family.

However, there may become a time when I might have to seek NHS help in the UK because of prohibitive medical costs here which are not covered by Philhealth.

Yes I know that new measures are being put in place in the UK to stop overseas visitors seeking free NHS care, but I will take my chance on that with a UK passport showing a Tourist Visa only. Prayerfully, this may never have to be tested.

When its time to go to the big beach in the sky, I will leave my final resting place to my loved ones here. Preference would be to have ashes scattered on the beach here which I have grown to love.

Regards

SushiFan

I don't think that the factors you mention have such a large influence. Unless they are so harsh that you simply can't cope. It is (relative) poverty which shortens life expectancy.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/...fe-expectancy/

jimeve

That's me snookerd then regarding NHS, I have residency 13a visa and only got philhealth. Was looking at getting NHS if anything goes wrong with me.

mikemike

My 13a visa is in my old passport, my new one tells no secrets)

Gazza-d

I intend to maintain my UK address to hopefully get over this.

spouse of scouse

Expats returning to the UK from non EEA countries need to be deemed as 'ordinarily resident' in the UK in order to be eligible for NHS services. There's a lot of jargon around the term, but it really just means that you've moved back to live, not just hopped over for NHS treatment and then off again.

One thing that British expats in the Philippines may want to bear in mind is, if you need to return to live in the UK and your spouse/partner is a Philippines national, you'd need to sponsor him/her for a UK settlement visa which runs to several thousand pounds over the 5 years they'd be under immigration control. There are financial, accommodation and character requirements for this visa, eg you as the sponsor would need to have an annual income of over £18,600 or cash savings over $62,500.

This link explains (sort of!) the term 'ordinarily resident'.

https://assets.publishing.service.go...april_2018.pdf

Stokkevn

I returned to the UK in 2002 after being overseas for over 25 years, when I registered with the practice in Aberdeen I was asked for my previous doctor, when they saw that I had not been to him for 25 years they asked why, I just told them I did not like doctors and preferred to stay healthy. I returned again in 2013 after living here for 5 years, I apologised for not telling them of my new address ( my brothers address ). No problems in getting NHS service.

I think it is too much effort for them to try and show that an obvious Brit has been living overseas.

salgoud

Been investigating retirement options with my Fiipina partner for a few years now. I'm already at retirement age and my partner (Nurse) will be a retiring in 4 years time. So comparing if we should stay in UK to retire or Philippines.

So far financially the comparisons appear about equal (on our pension income - won't go into details now), my current investigation is on which country would be best for our deteriorating health in our latter years. So my query was mainly to see what experiences in the later years of retirement have been for expat retirees in the Philippines - did they manage financially and with care.

Thanks all,

salgoud

That the question I am asking from you expats already retired in the Philippine - your experience and observations ti help me decide

Thanks

salgoud

Not sure what year this change came about, I think it was included in the non-dom changers for the super rich avoiding UK tax. What changed was that you now have to show that your are Habitually Resident in the UK to make use of a UK GP or Hospital service (Not A&E) - even though (as in my case I have paid NI my whole life I would lose NHS access). Essentially you have to show that you have set up residence again in the UK by having permanent accommodation, UK banking and Utility contracts, etc. This could take some time, so having a UK passport and tourist visa will not help in an emergency.

Regards

morpeth

Maybe different parts of the UK handle the situation differently. In a similar situation, I registered at the GP with passport, national insurance number, and copy of tenancy agreement. Never asked to pass any habitual or ordinarily resident test; at hospital never asked to produce any documents. Maybe it is it or miss which location wants to test ordinary or habotual residency test.