British citizen living abroad? Non-EEA spouse? This may affect you!
#152
Re: Theresa May wants minimum income of £25,700; £49,000 if you have 2 kids
Theresa May was on the Andrew Marr show this morning explaining the proposed new regulations.
Although I agree in principle with reducing illegal and exploitative immigration, this seems like yet another scheme that has not been thought through carefully. The practical implementation seems like a bureaucratic nightmare, and as the posts throughout this thread have pointed out, you can't apply a flat rate to people.
Savings, retirement status, health status, location, etc., etc., all determine whether or not you will be a burden on the benefits system. If you live in the centre of London, have no savings, and have to pay rent or mortgage, a salary of £19k is probably a laughably low amount to live on.
Also, why should a couple coming back with 3 children be treated differently from a childless couple with plans to have 3 children? You just can't assess these things.
I'd be happier if they simply had conditional rules about being able to claim benefits within a set time of immigrating to the UK. Length of the marriage to a non UKC should also be taken into account.
Although I agree in principle with reducing illegal and exploitative immigration, this seems like yet another scheme that has not been thought through carefully. The practical implementation seems like a bureaucratic nightmare, and as the posts throughout this thread have pointed out, you can't apply a flat rate to people.
Savings, retirement status, health status, location, etc., etc., all determine whether or not you will be a burden on the benefits system. If you live in the centre of London, have no savings, and have to pay rent or mortgage, a salary of £19k is probably a laughably low amount to live on.
Also, why should a couple coming back with 3 children be treated differently from a childless couple with plans to have 3 children? You just can't assess these things.
I'd be happier if they simply had conditional rules about being able to claim benefits within a set time of immigrating to the UK. Length of the marriage to a non UKC should also be taken into account.
#153
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Posts: 14,540
Re: Theresa May wants minimum income of £25,700; £49,000 if you have 2 kids
Savings, retirement status, health status, location, etc., etc., all determine whether or not you will be a burden on the benefits system. If you live in the centre of London, have no savings, and have to pay rent or mortgage, a salary of £19k is probably a laughably low amount to live on.
Also, why should a couple coming back with 3 children be treated differently from a childless couple with plans to have 3 children? You just can't assess these things.
I'd be happier if they simply had conditional rules about being able to claim benefits within a set time of immigrating to the UK. Length of the marriage to a non UKC should also be taken into account.
We are on the cusp of retiring, have all our assets and pensions waiting to be mobilized, but (like many folks in our position) would prefer not to annuitise or otherwise deploy them for at least a few years, because the longer you leave the funds, then of course the better an income you can draw. So the day we retire, or the following months and years, we'll have assets and potential income, but maybe not much actual income, so hard to see how we'll come within the rules.
Anyway, for couple hoping to move together, clearly the income you can document in the US or Australia or wherever is obviously going to cease when you move back to the UK. I'd like my employer to keep paying me if I move to England, but I honestly think they might eventually notice my absence!
#154
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,294
Re: Theresa May wants minimum income of £25,700; £49,000 if you have 2 kids
We don't want to go back to the days of the Ark and when men believed they were superior.
Last edited by formula; Jun 10th 2012 at 12:34 pm.
#155
Re: Theresa May wants minimum income of £25,700; £49,000 if you have 2 kids
What I said was, the majority of stay at home child carers are women. That is a fact.
Only a fool would suggest this was mandatory, it is simply a fact. (I might point out that a womans decision to stay at home and rear children has nothing to do with her being the "little woman" at home. That is an out-dated sexist stereotype which you raised.)
And frankly, it doesn't matter a tinkers cuss what the eu has done to facilitate women with children to go out to work. Some choose not to go to work, some cannot work... and bless you for allowing me to remind you... some can't get back to the UK to take advantage of the EU rules. (Because they are stay at home mothers.)
FFS.
#156
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,811
Re: Theresa May wants minimum income of £25,700; £49,000 if you have 2 kids
LOL.... I meant having to stay with your partner in Aus.
I'm confused, I think it comes down to the individual circumstances upon reflection. Are they going to take my Australian Assets into account.... If so I probably wont have a problem. You probably wont either if it's based on your current assets ?
For instance....The Aus Pension isnt that far short of 25K for a couple. I think that would be payable in the UK.
Best prepare your ole man to become a UK citizen, then you wont have to worry about this crap.
Have fun doing that
I'm confused, I think it comes down to the individual circumstances upon reflection. Are they going to take my Australian Assets into account.... If so I probably wont have a problem. You probably wont either if it's based on your current assets ?
For instance....The Aus Pension isnt that far short of 25K for a couple. I think that would be payable in the UK.
Best prepare your ole man to become a UK citizen, then you wont have to worry about this crap.
Have fun doing that
The Aussie State pension would be largely irrelevant - its not payable unless you are in Aus just before retirement age, you need to have lived here 10 years to be eligible and even then its means-tested. A basic super plan for a few years, plus entitlement to a UK pension means most expats will never qualify for it.
#157
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,294
Re: Theresa May wants minimum income of £25,700; £49,000 if you have 2 kids
What an earth do you do all day while the children are at school?
Last edited by formula; Jun 10th 2012 at 1:36 pm.
#158
Re: Theresa May wants minimum income of £25,700; £49,000 if you have 2 kids
Neither I nor any of my friends stayed at home after the youngest had started school (age 4) even though our respective husbands' earned enough for the family to live on. Most of us even worked SE from home in the evenings just months after the baby was born. We all wanted to work to keep our selfworth as we came from familes that installed a good work ethic, so we wanted to contribute to the family pot. New laws have made it even easier for a parent in the EEA countries to drop off and collect their children from school.
What an earth do you do all day while the children are at school?
What an earth do you do all day while the children are at school?
If it makes you feel better about your life, I put myself through uni cleaning toilets to pay my way. Eventually, I achieved a career most people never even dream of. When I had my baby, I went back to working 12 hour days, as a suddenly single parent. Within 18 months I was injured and hospitalised, lost my career and had to sell the home I had bought for myself. Yet, through my own hard work, I single-handedly raised my child. So, lucky for me, my self-worth is quite in tact.
These days, I help raise step-children as well as my own. At times, I have gone out to work, but for now, I am physically undertaking major renovations, working two jobs from home and making time to do all those things with and for children that "real" working mothers miss out on.
I appreciate you may find this all very difficult to understand as I have lived a very different life and am obviously a very different person to you.
I hope you are not jealous.
#159
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 33
Re: Theresa May wants minimum income of £25,700; £49,000 if you have 2 kids
We all wanted to work to keep our selfworth as we came from familes that installed a good work ethic, so we wanted to contribute to the family pot.
'Keep our selfworth'??? Seriously! I have tons of self worth. I am ensuring my children grow up respectful and intelligent and understand that self worth is not measured by the amount of money you bring home but by the impact you make on other's lives.
'Work ethic'?? Do you know how hard it is taking care of children 24/7?? Especially in the younger years. And it doesn't stop just because they go to school. When they are at school, you can finally get the stuff done you couldn't because they were at home needing care, help, etc during the day. Maybe not everyone can manage this situation nor choose to. I respect their choices and do not believe they are less of a person for doing so.
We homeschool so I am on the extreme end. I am helping my children grow up to become adults who do not condescend and insult others, who are intelligent and have a much better work ethic than many in public school nowadays, and who (hopefully) will feel blessed that their mother gave up much of her life for them (and happily did so). There are days I wonder if I should send my children to school. I will keep your comments in mind to remind myself that it is attitudes such as this as one of the reasons homeschooling and being a stay-at-home mom rocks.
Now I am off to watch crappy tele and eat bon bons. Oh wait, I already woke up.
#162
Re: Theresa May wants minimum income of £25,700; £49,000 if you have 2 kids
I take a very simple approach to all this.
If you are a British citizen you should be able to come and live in the UK with your non-EU spouse and children. There should be no income limits or restrictions on benefits.
If May wants to stop immigration through "sham" marriages there should be an investigation to see if the marriage is just a ruse to gain entry to the UK. That would address the issue she (and the Daily Mail) has.
Personally I resent this legislation....I'm single, but if I was still married to my US ex I'd have to jump through hoops just to return to where I was born. What if I had to move back to the UK to look after my aging mother, would the UK force me to be separated from my US spouse? It's knee jerk legislation of the worst kind.
If you are a British citizen you should be able to come and live in the UK with your non-EU spouse and children. There should be no income limits or restrictions on benefits.
If May wants to stop immigration through "sham" marriages there should be an investigation to see if the marriage is just a ruse to gain entry to the UK. That would address the issue she (and the Daily Mail) has.
Personally I resent this legislation....I'm single, but if I was still married to my US ex I'd have to jump through hoops just to return to where I was born. What if I had to move back to the UK to look after my aging mother, would the UK force me to be separated from my US spouse? It's knee jerk legislation of the worst kind.
Last edited by nun; Jun 10th 2012 at 2:30 pm.
#164
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,848
Re: Theresa May wants minimum income of £25,700; £49,000 if you have 2 kids
There is a discussion right now on the London radio station LBC 97.3FM regarding this (phone in).
Expats can get the *free App* to listen to radio stations anywhere in the world on their iPhones, iPads, Android phones and tablets on 'Tune In'.
(I'm always listening to BBC Radio 2, Radio 4, Capital Radio, BBC Radio 5 Live and LBC on my iPad and Android Samsung phone. It's brilliant )
Expats can get the *free App* to listen to radio stations anywhere in the world on their iPhones, iPads, Android phones and tablets on 'Tune In'.
(I'm always listening to BBC Radio 2, Radio 4, Capital Radio, BBC Radio 5 Live and LBC on my iPad and Android Samsung phone. It's brilliant )
Last edited by Englishmum; Jun 10th 2012 at 2:43 pm.
#165
Re: Theresa May wants minimum income of £25,700; £49,000 if you have 2 kids
There is a discussion right now on the London radio station LBC 97.3FM regarding this (phone in).
Expats can get the *free App* to listen to radio stations anywhere in the world on their iPhones, iPads, Android phones and tablets on 'Tune In'.
(I'm always listening to BBC Radio 2, Radio 4, Capital Radio, BBC Radio 5 Live and LBC on my iPad and Android Samsung phone. It's brilliant )
Expats can get the *free App* to listen to radio stations anywhere in the world on their iPhones, iPads, Android phones and tablets on 'Tune In'.
(I'm always listening to BBC Radio 2, Radio 4, Capital Radio, BBC Radio 5 Live and LBC on my iPad and Android Samsung phone. It's brilliant )
http://www.lbc.co.uk/listen-live-3578