jmh

I just wanted to let you know that as a NZ citizen your wife is entitled to free NHS services under a reciprocation agreement for treatment that requires prompt attention. Details here: http://www.health.govt.nz/new-zealan...lth-agreements


http://www.nzembassy.com/united-king...care-in-the-uk

warrend

Cool, I didn't know that - thanks!

paul32x

Don't even think about not telling the council anything. I do dozens of interviews a month from local councils and you'd be amazed at the powers and things they get up to to keep a track on people, all perfectly legal. They have unlimited access to Facebook, if they even suspect something is wrong, they can check bank accounts, electricity/gas bills to check usage against national stats, they are now hooked up with a myriad of other government databases that automatically run checks against names they have of people living in their area, and if the computer finds something that doesn't match, they then give you a very close look. You don't even need to be claiming benefits directly, you could just be on working tax credit, child tax credit, child benefit and you're a potential target. Councils get bounties on various scales to catch people, ranging from £1,500 up to about £3,000 per interview they do, depending on their outcomes, and you would be absolutely amazed and astonished at the ones I hear!

formula

That free emergncy treatment for a visitor from NZ, just seems to be the same that any visitor to the UK (or non resident Brit) gets at the moment.

What any legal visitor to the UK will get if they have an accident or take ill, is free emergency treatment in A&E and a free ambulance ride to A&E if they need it.
But treatment not in A&E i.e. X -rays; a stay on a ward; follow up treatment etc (all the expensive stuff) are all billed.

You can either check if a NZ resident gets those extras for free, or just play safe and get insurance before she travels.

Using the NHS for free when you aren't allowed it, will get a refusal for a spouse visa if that NHS bill is over 1k. The NHS and UKBA share information.

Bluegrass Lass

Do you mean, that even if I have my FB page set to private so only friends can view my status, that they have a way of snooping?

paul32x

Afraid so. If you are in the UK, claiming ANY sort of benefit, not just the most common ones that most people think of, they have access. I get it time and time again in interviews where people put things on their Facebook pages, deny them in interview, then comes the inevitable question, 'Then why did you post on Facebook...'!! Even silly little things like school records, the forms that you fill in when you put your child in a school, they have complete access to your credit reports, and via that can then get copies of any applications for credit that you have made, internet searches you have made regarding credit. It's truly very very frightening! It doesn't apply to emails, but even that power (it's called RIPA) has been devolved down from a judge or magistrate, down to a lowly council official who grants approval nowadays - and of course, they don't need much persuasion!

formula

They are benefits too. That's why they also get checked.

In fact, all three of those benefits you mentioned above, are income based benefits. Which means that not only does a claimant have to ask for the benefit, they have to declare their income/s too.

dunroving

How do Council employees get access to non-public parts of anyone's Facebook account?

Surely they can only do this if they have a legal order to do this - they can't just snoop on non-public parts of someone's Facebook page.

Did you read it in the Daily Mail?

paul32x

They are, but paid not by local government, by HMRC -- again, all linked to council databases, so they have access to all your tax records, national insurance, et cetera, et cetera. Don't fret though , it does get much much worse! One of the things I've never really understood though is why the US has a live feed of all the London traffic cameras, but they do!

"Originally Posted by spouse of scouse View Post
I'd check on your Council's website. The few I looked at advised that visitors don't affect the single occupier discount - it seems you only lose this when another person uses your home as their main place of residence. Ie, if they're just visiting and their usual/main home is elsewhere, it's fine. Hopefully your Council's website will give you the info."

Unfortunately councils define 'visitors' in many different ways. Most councils are okay with someone visiting for a few weeks, but then a common thread they use is, 'Okay, so after this period of time, why should the taxpayer be subsidizing your long terms visitor's use of your home, you electricity, rent, food,' et cetera, depending on the benefit, and they get you that way! I'm sorry to be harp on about it all, but I hear so many stories every single day, and so many people saying, 'But I didn't think I should tell you,' or, 'I didn't know,' and it just falls completely and utterly on deaf ears.

paul32x

No, didn't read it in the DM, though I'm sure it's been in there. I've been in this profession for 30 years, that's how! I run a business that provides not only court stenographers, but we transcribe hundreds and hundreds of interviews from not only councils, but all sorts of other organisations -- every year and have done for decades now! As for a legal order, forget it. The powers have devolved to such an extent nowadays that, for example, a lowly council official has the power, in some cases even individual investigators do, and they just fire off a form letter to whichever organisation they need information from, and the organisation has no choice but to respond, otherwise they would be breaking the law.

formula

What's going to happen to checks when Universal Credit replaces the 6 income based benefits?

formula

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014...n_5145355.html

I believe him. There are lots of posts on forums where people have posted they have been invited for an interview, or worse, an interview under caution, because of something the relevant benefit department found out. I even saw one where a claimant had been called in because of money going into the claimant's grown up daughter's account.

Even mortgate lenders are tracing who is letting their property without permission, by checking credit footprints at that property with National Hunter (owned by the banks but run by Experian).

paul32x

When Universal Credit comes in, it just makes it easier to keep an eye on things, no more data-matching with that particular database as it's all in one.

dunroving

I used to work for DHSS and know that if there is an ongoing investigation there are ways to get access, I just don't think Council emplyees can snoop your private Facebook information at random.

formula

Does it matter? All the countries seem to spying on each other anyway.

At least the cctv cameras in London gave us more tourist attractions....the London noses. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Noses