typhoo

What would be the scenario be if a British woman, left her husband in France and just arrived in the UK with her children with the intention of living in UK again, minus husband? Would she be entitled to housing/benefits? Anyone ever had this experience?

dmu

Hi,
No idea about getting benefits on returning to the UK.
But the person in question is going to need to get her future ex's permission to take his children out of the country. If he refuses, then it must go before the Court, and the Judge will decide what's best for the children.
I may be wrong, as I'm going by my own daughters when they were minors, but when children leave the French Territory, they need an "Autorisation de Sortie du Territoire" obtained from the Mairie, signed by both parents. Without it, and until they are of age, they can't go any further than Passport Control, even if they have their own valid ID.
This law intends to prevent not only children who run away from home (or who are abducted) from leaving the country, but also spouses from returning "home" with their children without the other parent's permission.
Hope this helps, at least from the legal view this end...

typhoo

Many thanks, will pass on the info. If anyone knows what/if any benefits she would be allowed and a time scale before she could expect to have to wait would be appeciated (assuming the legalities in France are put in place).

dennerlymum

as regards the children leaving france; I may be wrong but I think it only applies to french nationals; my daughter is going on a school trip to germany this year and the school said that this rule only applied to the french children; british nationals are ok. So it depends on the nationality of Dad and the kids.

dmu

You're probably right. My daughters had French Cartes d'Identité from birth, and I don't know how this rule applies to children with two foreign parents.
If the father is French, then it applies.
Whatever, before she makes plans, the OP's friend might do well to ask the Mairie whether she can take her children to the UK alone without this Autorisation.
P.S. As no one is replying about the Benefits, maybe the OP could post in the "Moving Back to the UK" forum?