Piglet51

We have lived in Seattle for 26 years and are thinking about a move back to the UK for medical coverage reasons. All 3 kids have UK and US passports but have never actually lived there. I worked for 8 years before moving out here. Neither myself nor my husband have paid NI contributions in the time we have been away. Our 22 yr old son has multiple medical issues ( type 1 D,fibromyalgia, thyroid) and I am not sure if he or any of us are eligible for NHS coverage due to the length of time we have been away. I cannot find any info on the government website as to how we can ascertain that info so was hoping you lovely people might be able to help.
Many thx in advance

spouse of scouse

Are you and your husband both British citizens, as well as the kids? If so, you can all move back to the UK to live at any time, and you will all be eligible for full NHS services immediately.

MidAtlantic

There is no connection between NI contribution record and entitlement to NHS services. If you are a British citizen and ordinarily resident in the UK (as you will be if/when you move back) you are entitled to NHS services.

Section 5 in this may help:

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/Documents/E....pdf?dtrk=true

Piglet51

this is where i am not sure. we became US citizens about 10 yrs ago but retained our british passports. Some people have said this means we are no longer considered British citizens

BritInParis

And those people are wrong. Providing your British passports are valid then your family can move back to the UK and be fully covered by the NHS from day one.

MidAtlantic

If your British passports have expired you can renew them here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...plication-form

mikelincs

Well those 'some people' are talking out of their backsides, unless you specifically renounced your British Citizenship, then you still have it, the wording in the US Oath has no effect on your British Citizenship.

Piglet51

thank you for your help.

Piglet51

we were both born in the Uk as was our eldest child. We became US citizens about 10 yrs ago and hear different views as to whether we can still claim British citizenship

mikelincs

You do not have to claim it as you ARE British Citizens.

MidAtlantic

You still don't seem to be understanding. You don't have to CLAIM British citizenship. Becoming a US citizen had no effect on your British citizenship.

Like many on here I am a US and British citizen and hold US and UK passports.

BritInParis

That form is only for applicants from certain countries. If the OP needs to renew any British passports then he should start here: https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

Indeed. The OP has already stated that all three of his children have been issued British passports.

HKG3

If you worked in the UK for 8 years before moving to the US, it may be worthwhile for you to get a pension forecast from the DWP -

https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

Once you have your pension forecast, it may be a good idea to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions (backdated for the last 6 financial years) in order to get a bigger UK state pension -

https://www.gov.uk/pay-voluntary-cla...onal-insurance

While the whole family - being British Citizens, can get NHS coverage as soon as they are in the UK, they will need to satisfy the habitual residence test before you can access UK welfare benefits -

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/be...ming-benefits/

Your children may need to apply for a National Insurance number once they are back in the UK -

https://www.gov.uk/apply-national-insurance-number

If you forgot your own National Insurance number, you can ask the DWP to do a search for you. Please see link below for details -

https://www.gov.uk/lost-national-insurance-number