nathan70

BACKGROUND
I've been back for 1 1/2 years now and - I won't lie - it's been a struggle. The rents here in London (can't even begin to contemplate buying) are astronomical even compared to Tokyo, where I'd lived for 23 years prior to returning. The quality of healthcare here - particularly dental - is also pretty awful despite being comparatively expensive. And to top if off, I haven't been able to pin down a stable job even though I used to get headhunted all the time in Japan. My family and I moved to the UK on the strength of a firm job offer from a Japanese company but that was just in the aftermath of the Brexit vote and they subsequently let me go as they were considering moving their European HQ operations to Germany. I then worked as a contractor until last November, when the contract expired. I'm now jobless. We've been able to survive by dipping into our Japanese savings but those are drying up fast. Unless I nail something soon, it's sayonara (again) to London

MY QUESTION
I want to apply for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction as it will really help with the finances. However, I own a home in Tokyo that is obviously worth over 16,000 pounds. I can't sell it basically because if I can't get a job here my family will return to Tokyo and live in it. Is this going to void my eligibility for HB/CTR?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Nathan

Pollyana

Bit confused as to why you find healthcare expensive? Are you not entitled to NHS treatment?
And although I'm willing to be corrected I think your assets may go against you - especially if you can afford pivate healthcare plans.

SanDiegogirl

Yes, having assets such as a home abroad will affect whether or not you are eligible for benefits.

spouse of scouse

I'd agree with this. The means test for HB and council tax support includes the value of property owned (unless the property is the applicant's primary residence ie the one that's being lived in when the application is made).

OP, I'm sorry to hear of your difficulties.

nathan70

Thanks for the input. I strongly suspect you’re right about the assets counting against me.
I don’t have private healthcare; I’m finding NHS dental treatment is expensive. A checkup alone costs £20 whereas it was something like £7 in Tokyo and the kids went free. Pretty sure the dentist was free here too when I was a kid...

BristolUK

Yes the value would disqualify you.

Note, however, that unless something has changed in the last couple of years, the value may be disregarded for a period while you try to sell it.

So you could make that decision and then possibly qualify.

Furthermore, and again unless something has changed, if the intention is to use the funds from house sale to buy somewhere to live, those funds my be disregarded while you house hunt.

There have been quite a few changes in UK benefits over the last few years so best to check if these disregards still apply. They were not that well known.

BritInParis

https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators

nathan70

Thanks. Those exceptions do sound reasonable/plausible but I wonder how the local authority would be able to confirm. I guess the burden of proof would be on me to show that that’s what I intend to do. I will check with Citizens Advice (who seem more accessible with these types of questions). Anyway, I just need some help to tide me over until I find employment - with any luck I’ll find something before I receive my first payment! Thanks again for this.

christmasoompa

Just to clarify, that £20 fee also covers x-rays, scale & polish etc. It's a bit more than a check up alone, and it's free for kids in the UK too.

Good luck, I hope a job is just around the corner.

BristolUK

Generally confirmation from a selling agent that the property is on the market for the first stage (which could just be a standard from them to you confirming the instruction) and for the intention to use funds to buy would just be your statement to that effect as long as it made sense, perhaps backed up by something from an agent helping you in looking.

Relocation obviously does make sense but they wouldn't necessarily disregard all of it. I mean if you could buy a home in the area you were looking for £300k and you stood to get £500k after the sale, they'd not ignore the whole £500k.

nathan70

Well that’s odd. On my two visits I only got an X-ray scan and a bit of poking around inside my mouth for my £20. And the kids were definitely charged. Couldn’t believe their sealants weren’t free. Have I been ripped off?

But yeah, thanks. A job is what I really do need right now.

christmasoompa

If they charged for the kids, then yes, absolutely you have (although I've no idea what a sealant is!). All NHS dentistry is free for under 18's - https://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/1786.as...categoryid=154

michali

Just make sure that you are being seen as an NHS patient! My first dentist here when I came back was happy to accept me as an NHS patient but spent every session impressing upon me how better it would be for me to accept her private treatment! Better quality of materials, etc! I decided if I am going to go though that pressure, I might as well go private!

spouse of scouse

You weren't ripped off. You were a visitor from a country that doesn't have a reciprocal health agreement with the UK, as such you and your family were only entitled to emergency NHS services (and even then you may have received a bill for in patient hospital treatment). You could have made a claim on your travel insurance for any necessary treatment.

The amount you paid for your dental appointment is what all UK citizens and residents who are not on specific benefits pay for the lowest band treatment. If your children have been charged by an NHS dentist for routine work since you've arrived back to live in the UK, then yes, you shouldn't have had to pay that.