pawxpaw

Long story short I'm considering applying for some relatively lower paying jobs as a way to get back sooner rather than later.
There are some vacancies I can likely take up fairly easily while I wait for all the stars to align to resume my actual career.
I'm looking at a job that will pay about £21000. So enough to meet the criteria for sponsoring my Canadian wife. We have 3 children who are all dual citizens with British passports. But not really a figure that would pay the way for us long term.

I know at 21k with 3 kids I would qualify for child benefits etc, but with the no access to public funds clause would that be witheld from us? Or would I be eligible, just my wife couldn't get anything? The credits I believe I would ordinarily be eligible for would give us the buffer to be financially comfortable during the initial period after returning. Once back I would be getting back to my former career and quite a bit higher salary so then it wouldn't be an issue.
My wife would be looking after the kids and not planning to work in the UK initially.

I don't think I can stand being here much longer. I just want to get home and taking a lower paying job just to get back home is worth it, but if I can figure out exactly how much we will be getting it'll make the transition easier. Thank you.

SanDiegogirl

Yes, YOU could apply for child benefit upon your return.

christmasoompa

Don't forget that some benefits can't be claimed immediately - so perhaps something else to factor in to your budgeting.

Good luck with the move.

pawxpaw

Thank you. Long term we will be completely fine. Once we've liquidated Canadian assets and got everything moved over we should be very comfortable.
If we stayed in Canada for 12-18 months to do that first it also wouldn't be a problem.
But the prospect of spending another year here is driving me mad. I want out! Haha.
So I'm happy to take the somewhat more convoluted route but get back this year. Plus I want to get out of here before the looming crash to the economy.

Helen1964

But aren't benefits of this type means-tested? And if you have assets - even if they're in Canada - surely you wouldn't be entitled?
Canada driving you mad might be a big problem for you and but it shouldn't be the problem of the UK taxpayer.

spouse of scouse

Child benefit isn't means tested. If a person's income is over £50,000 per annum they may have to pay some back, but they can still claim and receive it. As a UK national the OP is perfectly entitled to child benefit payments for his children.

Helen1964

Yes, you're right.
But I see child benefit is just £20.70 a week for the first child and £13.70 a week for any children after that.
These are pretty small amounts.
So I suspect the OP is really inquiring about other, more substantial benefits.

pawxpaw

Thank you for the judgemental post. I won't apologise for using resources that I contributed hundreds of thousands of pounds towards while living and working everyday in the UK since age 13. While never having so much as a penny back to me.
Getting child benefit, which is the entitlement of most in the UK, is hardly going to off set the massive contributions I've made in the past. And using them for a couple of months as a buffer sits fine with me. The jobs I will return to, which contribute significantly to society , are somewhat unique in that I need to back on UK soil to officially take up the position. Using another job to make the move and bringing my UK citizen children is hardly gaming the system.

As for my assets in Canada they are not applicable for this discussion. None of them in their current state would be considered for any forms of means testing.
Also you'll note I simply enquired I am looking to determine exactly where I will stand so I can calculate accordingly. I did not say I was returning and relying on hand outs. I am simply calculating exactly where I will stand on a salary around that figure. And yes I was fundementally talking about child benefit. Which while small is still needed to be accounted for while balancing my personal books.
I won't apologise for being dilligent, as being thus has meant I have been a significant contributor to the public purse. It's people who don't account to the fine detail that then face difficulties that require someone else to fix them. I do plan and then I don't generally have unexpected issues.

I personally think the bone idle who have never worked a day in their life shouldn't be a problem for the UK tax payer. But so it is.... Maybe I should join their ranks and give you something valid to complain about.


Also. For someone who has posted about undeclared accounts and hoping to avoid problems with the tax authorities for such, the saying "those in glass houses"..... Comes to mind.

Perhaps people with undisclosed accounts who are avoiding taxes shouldn't be the problem of the tax payer.........

spouse of scouse

Give it a rest Helen, we're supposed to help each other, not put people down for something we 'suspect'.

Helen1964

He said “child benefits, etc.” So not just child benefits.
And for some benefits - other than child benefits - assets will be taken into account. Whether he likes it or not.

christmasoompa

Ah, I see. Sorry, I misunderstood your post, I thought you needed the benefits for the first few months to top up that salary. If you have enough of a buffer to wait to be eligible for those benefits after returning, then all is good.

Best of luck with the job hunt.

Rosecampion

Helen is correct though. My sister returned from Australia last year and was refused universal credit on the ground that she had assets above a certain value. Big house in Queensland.

pawxpaw

You know what they say about assumptions....

And for sake of repeating myself, I know what is and isn't applicable for means testing etc. And as I already said the assets I talk of are not applicable to this discussion.
The question I asked had nothing to do with means testing or trying to avoid it. It simply was does the fact I would be sponsoring someone to join me change our overall entitlements.
its called knowing the whole picture. Perhaps you should consider that before finding yourself having failed to follow the process?

I am simply looking to see exactly where we stand, and the salary I'm talking about is the buffer to enable the transfer between countries. Not a reliance on handouts. But the situation as a whole must be calculated to ensure both my obligations on returning to the UK, but also my obligations with regard to moving my other assets out of Canada.
Being aware of ones position and obligations is also related to knowing ones entitlements. Your personal opinion on the matter is irrelevant. As is my personal opinion on people who "forget to disclose foreign accounts".

And where did I say I was seeking to avoid having things taken into account? I'm more than happy to follow due process with the authorities. But equally so I won't turn down something I am entitled to just because Helen thinks it's wrong. If I never worked another day in my life I doubt I could recover what I've paid into the system. And I didn't need to hide accounts to avoid doing so.

spouse of scouse

Hi Rose, welcome to BE. The UK payment the OP is inquiring about, child benefit, isn't means tested.

Honey246

On the government website it states it can take up to 12 weeks for claims. When we claimed it did get back dated. For us it was took about 3 months. Don't know if it was quicker for, as was already in system
from living here before when kids were young.




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