the4ofus

Go to your local jobcentre plus, take 2 forms of ID with you and they should be able to look it up on their system for you.

HTH, Lynn xx

old fat biker bloke

Just found this on DWP website - may be useful...

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/international/...eea.asp#canada

exvj

Yes that's true - I got a year's pay when I was laid off - but they said if I signed on every 2 weeks, then my NI contributions would be credited. I filled in the card and the woman scolded me and said 'this says your weekly pay and you have put your monthly pay - go and fill it in properly !'

I said 'but I was earning £1,500 a week, so when can you find me similar job ? '

It was February 1995

I never went back, but the new rules give me a full pension anyway - and it's index linked for U.S. residents

lapin_windstar

Not to be unsympathetic to your bro', but NI is National Insurance, and if you don't pay your premiums to an insurance company, they don't cover you any more. NI is more generous than private companies/funds (like I think - not sure - operate in Netherlands and Scandinavia) because it allows you a bit of flexibility with gaps etc.

Germany's in the EU, how come he didn't have some sort of reciprocal coverage from there?

The lesson to everyone who leaves the UK is - keep up the voluntary contributions if you think you might ever need the dole or (eventually) the state pension. The pension is not a bad deal, is it?

Edit: I don't know why there's a stigma associated with claiming benefits. If you're not lying, you've paid your premium and you're entitled to the coverage. No-one feels like a "scrounger" when they claim off their car insurance...

Fleaflyfloflum

I'm getting a bit tired of repeating myself on this subject and STILL no one listens to what i have said.

YOU CAN CLAIM INCOME SUPPORT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

regardless of NI contributions.... i know.. i did it 7mths ago

LindseyN

You should be able to claim job seekers allowance, as long as you are an EU passport holder and legitimately seeking work. There are two types of job seekers allowance, one is contributions based, and one is income based. Obviously to qualify for contributions based you will need to prove your NI payments, so therefore I'd conclude income based (based on incomings and savings) is going to apply, usually at a lesser rate.

Other benefits like disability and income support are more difficult, and you would need to be accepted as a habitual resident, regardless of being British. This is where complications arise, and often returning residents are surprised to hear they don't qualify. Your intention to remain in the UK is sometimes enough, as long as other factors are met i.e. children in school, permanent residence, furniture and all belongings brought back to the UK.

You can visit www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk and make a claim online for jobseekers, or phone them. While applying for job seekers allowance, you can make a claim at the same time for housing and council tax benefit. This will be cleared once your claim for jobseekers is successful (although do call them to check up).

I have recently been helping my relatives with the same issue, and strongly suggest keeping copies of your paperwork. They lost my mother-in-laws, thus I was called to sort it all out.!!

exvj

I agree that everyone can claim what used to be called social security because the U.K. is a civilised society and people are not just left without food and the basics

There is no requirement to have contributions ever

A Pole can come to England and get the basic income support on day 1.
A Pole dancer doesn't need to

When I visited Boston common I saw a line of people - I would estimate 500 stretching right back to the town. They were queueing for free soup. That was a couple of years ago before the recession.
It was like a scene from slumdog except in India they dont even have free soup as far as i know

Yes the rules for State Pension have been enormously relaxed as far as the required years of contributions are concerned

I retired at 54 and I still have a max pension from the State and they have written to me to confirm that

The USA is one of the few countries where the UK state pension is uplifted annually just the same as it is in the UK - weird when there are commonwealth countries where the uplift doesnt apply

Cape Blue

I'm not sure that is true http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3693615.stm

Ministers have introduced changes to a number of key benefits:


Income Support
Pension Credit
Jobseeker's Allowance
Housing Benefit
Council Tax Benefit

Access to these benefits was previously restricted to those who proved that they are "habitually resident" in the UK or Ireland.

In other words, you could not just turn up in the UK and automatically claim a benefit - you had to prove that you normally lived in the country, though there were more flexible rules for Irish citizens.

The new rules say that migrants from new EU states will need to prove not only do they normally live in the UK, but they have a right to live here too.

That right of resident is based on the economic status - and citizens of new EU states only obtain that right if they are working or self-employed.

exvj

Yes I agree with that because the person has to be living in the UK and not just a visitor - but if I go back to the UK to live, I will say that I have now re-established my residency and wish to be eligibly for free NHS treatment on day 1 and social security too - here is my flat rental agreement and sign up for electricity/gas/water etc and I will tear up my return flight ticket in front of you.. A Pole could do that too on day 1 as long as he had a job as I understand it.

Jerseygirl

That article is about migrants...this person is a UK citizen.

Cape Blue

I was refering to exvj's point about Polish people claiming on day one.

Cape Blue

You are correct, I had assumed that having a job would negate the need for income support but I can see that that is not the case.

BristolUK

Income Support isn't paid to people with a full time job.

Cape Blue

full-time being the difference

exvj

Correct

I wouldn't like to think I was going back to any country to go on income support. It's a pretty humiliating experience nowadays from all accounts.
When I was on it in 1976 for 3 months it was easy peasy and no problema and we sat in comfy seats and had a chat and they sent me the giro through the mail every 2 weeks and didnt even need me to turn up (more than 7 miles from an office) - but since thatcher/blair and the common use of hard drugs everywhere, it's pretty humilating sat there with all the drunks and junkies and hopeless people and security screens and notices about violence etc etc and they have toughened up a lot on the regs

Re-immigrating isn't that different to emigrating I would imagine, and you have to prepare yourself and save enough money to get re-started I reckon