Getting back in the system
 

Hi guys,

I have lived outside of the UK for almost 8 years and am now considering returning. Unfortunately when I left I just shipped out and ceased all kinds of contributions and did not maintain an address. I was young and felt that I would NEVER go back.. well I now have a family and considering the options for my daughter the UK is now strongly pulling me back. Plus its home (yes finally realised that!).

With regards to getting back on the NHS and into the pension scheme how would I go about this? Is it straight forward? Would I need to pay in the contributions that I missed?

My drivers license has expired (last year) is this easy to renew or do I have to re-test?

What about my possessions? My car, electroncis? Are these easy to bring with me from a customs clearing point of view? Should I even bother bringing a TV? Since its on a 110V system should I just sell it? A whole bunch of movies on NTSC blu-ray. A home theatre system. Can I bring these with me and run them through a converter or is the hassle/expense off set by buying all over?

Thanks for your help.

Re: Getting back in the system
 

It is great that you want to go back home for you and your family.

I believe to get back into the NHS system you have to be resident for 6 months (thats what my uk doctor told me) Not sure about the pension situation but Human Resources at your future employment may help.

You would have to re test for driving as you have been away so long and license has expired-contact UK driving school.

As far as possessions are concerned. Electricals probably won't work in the UK from Trinidad. Your better off buying once you get home- styles/sizes/voltage would matter in homes in the UK plus the shipping cost would be high....Good luck

Re: Getting back in the system
 

There is no waiting time for NHS treatment for returning residents - it's been covered on this forum extensively. The OP may need to establish residence, however, depending on how particular the front desk staff are at the local health centre.

Government pension payments (NI) will start up automatically upon employment, and there's no requirement to make back payments (though there is an option to buy in missed years - if the OP will have 30 years by the time he gets to 65, however, there is probably no point.

Re: Getting back in the system
 

no problem with the NHS and getting back into the system...you are a UK citizen so entitled to health care. I had to take my son to the doctors after only being back two weeks and there was no problem at all. We just filled in a form and that was that.
Never heard of anyone having to take another driving test either...its only been 8 years...i would have thought you would just apply for your driving license again from the DVLA? someone with more knowledge might be able to clarify that one but i've never heard of that.
I wouldn't bother shipping your stuff back its cheap enough buy over here and I would have thought more expensive to ship it back.
Good luck

Re: Getting back in the system
 

Not true. The deciding factor is domicile. Many people have one without the other.

Re: Getting back in the system
 

Not true ;). The deciding factor is residence. If you are a UK citizen, domiciled in the UK, but resident overseas you don't get NHS benefits.

Re: Getting back in the system
 

I took it for granted that fatcat did actually mean living in the UK rather than simply being a UK citizen. There was, after all, reference to "getting back" into the (NHS) system rather than just using it as well as having been back in the UK a couple of weeks.

Re: Getting back in the system
 

What usoruk is saying is kind of correct in that an on ongoing basis you must be resident in the UK for over six months in any tax year (and deemed ordinarily resident) to qualify but, as you say, if you arrive in the UK and give notice that you intend to stay you get NHS benefits right away.

Also, if fresh of the "boat", you know you can produce reasonable evidence that you have worked in any recent missed back period for National Insurance contributions it might be better to use those years to pay Class 2 conts to make up some of your 30 years of conts as opposed to having to make future conts and then ending up unemployed or whatever, in which case you will have to pay Class 3 conts which are much more expensive. Something to consider, depending upon your specific circumstances.

Re: Getting back in the system
 

I think the other point though is that you do not have to be a UK citizen, only resident in the UK. So non UK citizen spouses, for example, are immediately eligible upon taking up legal permanent residence.

Re: Getting back in the system
 

True enough. Although I imagine that original comment was directed at the OP who would appear to be a returning UK citizen so probably no great need for a reply mentioning other circumstances.

Hope that doesn't sound sarcastic. :) It is of course always useful to bring in general information for others looking in who might not quite fit the circumstances of the person responses are intended for.

Re: Getting back in the system
 

He's got family, who may not yet be UK citizens.

Can't be too careful, there are so many different exceptional circumstances.

We should get paid for this job. ;)

Re: Getting back in the system
 

Ooops...missed that.
I get a deposit into my bank account every month. Don't you? ;)

Re: Getting back in the system
 

Of he is a UK citizen, then by virtue of descent, his children are also citizens, so problem might be with wife, but as he will have been married for several years that shouldn't be a problem either, wouldn't be classed as a 'marriage of convenience'

Re: Getting back in the system
 

I'm not an expert, but from reading JAJ's past posts, although the children and wife may be eligible for citizenship (I think there are sometimes issues depending on how the parent got their own UK citizenship, though I can't be sure), I think there is some paperwork needed in order to officially confer, or establish the children's and wife's UK citizenship, which may not be in place when they enter the UK ...