Unemployment Benefits
Apr 21st 2005, 3:03 am
#16
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Looking for new horizons - again!
Posts: 58
Re: Unemployment Benefits
Originally Posted by ags
My husband had the unfortunate experience of being unemployed for a short while, about a year ago. We returned to the Uk after having been abroad for 11 yrs, previously had worked in the UK since he left school, 8 yrs previous to that. He was granted the sum of £54 a week for 6 weeks and then was told his NI contributions had run out so we could expect no more money. Luckily he found a job soon afterwards. As I was working part time earning £150 a week, we were earning too much as a couple to qualify for income support! We also have 2 children, and recieve just over £100 a month for them. Times were tough let me tell you, we had to go to the building society to ask if we could defer the mortgage payments for a few months.
We now have the Working families tax credit in place so thankfully that helps, that is based on the tax we have paid in the previous tax year.
Also when we came back at first and asked to be put on the housing list with the local council we were told we did not qualify for council accomodation as we had made ourselves intentionally homeless!
We will be leaving the UK shortly, but if I ever had to come back I would lie through my teeth and give the authorities the biggest sob story. I told the truth, hoping to be seen as someone of good character and it got me no where. Friends who have since returned have spun the biggest yarns and got a lot more than we ever did.
I have never wanted to live on benefits, but the safety nets are not always there when needed.
Don't expect too much, but hey, maybe I was one of the unlucky ones!
We now have the Working families tax credit in place so thankfully that helps, that is based on the tax we have paid in the previous tax year.
Also when we came back at first and asked to be put on the housing list with the local council we were told we did not qualify for council accomodation as we had made ourselves intentionally homeless!
We will be leaving the UK shortly, but if I ever had to come back I would lie through my teeth and give the authorities the biggest sob story. I told the truth, hoping to be seen as someone of good character and it got me no where. Friends who have since returned have spun the biggest yarns and got a lot more than we ever did.
I have never wanted to live on benefits, but the safety nets are not always there when needed.
Don't expect too much, but hey, maybe I was one of the unlucky ones!
Apr 21st 2005, 7:13 am
#17
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,848
Re: Unemployment Benefits
Originally Posted by Ilene
I forgot to mention something in my previous posts. Since I have a husband who has a "steady job" (even though it is here in Venezuela) the last time I went to Britain the "authorities" claimed that I wasn't eligible for benefits even if I could prove "habitual residence" because I didn't need the money!!! My husband is a doctor in this country and he works for the equivalent of the NHS here, he makes the equivalent of UKP 250 a month !! we can't afford to set up a private practice so he does "gigs" such as going "on call" at private clinics, other than this our only other income is my current salary. So how do I prove to the "authorities" in Britain that even though I do have a husband who has a steady job, UKP 250 is not exactly enough to keep a family (even if he could send that amount out to me in the UK, which he can't because it is against the law!!) This situation was a major obstacle when I went to Britain the last time. I don't want the claim that my husband and I are separated because once he does join me in Britain he will basically be using the fact that we have been married for such a long time to get his citizenship!! Englishmum, you are a mine of wonderful information, can you help me out with this one!!
Oh dear....you seem to be stuck 'between a rock and a hard place'. I dare not give you much in the way of advice as it may very well be incorrect.....however from what you say it does seem to be the case that you may only be able to claim UK state welfare benefits if you do have a 'legal seperation' form drawn up (and translated into English and notarised if it is drawn up in Venezuala).
However, this is my take on your situation but I must stress that
it's my personal opinion and certainly not an authoritative comment :.....Assuming that you did indeed have a legal seperation document drawn up for you to claim Income Support or to get housing via a housing association or local council ***it does NOT commit you to finalising a divorce***
Then when your husband is in a position to join you in the UK - and at this point I would guess that (according to your other posts) you would most likely be working and no longer claiming income support; you would just need cease your claim to any single parent benefits/allowances (eg. the single parent 'top-up' allowance with your Child Benefit payments) by writing to the Child Benefit Centre.
Of course, as you are not divorced, you just terminate your legal seperation agreement - obviously many seperated couples do decide to get back together anyway and as far as I'm aware - because you are *not* divorced and are reuniting I would presume that it shouldn't affect your husband's application for a visa to join you or to become a British citizen.
If you weren't a British citizen yourself Ilene, your family would almost certainly be considered as asylum seekers fleeing from persecution and the social service teams would be on hand as soon as you mention 'asylum seeker' or 'refugee' at the airport to assist you and sort out housing and govt. benefits....but of course being British you can't actually do that! It's crazy and annoying isn't it?!!! When you think about it, you *will* be (physically) seperated anyway if he's in South America and you're in the UK LOL!
Perhaps if you can communicate with the Citizen's Advice Bureau near your relative's home in Norfolk they might be able to suggest your options, or/and to ask your family if they can check with the Home Office or an immigration lawyer re; your husband's status if you do have a legal seperation but 'get back together'?
If I can find any more info I'll post the links, but I'm working at Newark airport right now (it's a quiet time so I'm writing this in between helping people here...)
Apr 21st 2005, 8:20 am
#18
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Looking for new horizons - again!
Posts: 58
Re: Unemployment Benefits
Originally Posted by Englishmum
Ilene....oddly enough, as I was reading the first few sentences of your post the immediate thought of 'legally seperated' came into my head....and then I saw your comment at the end of your post!
Oh dear....you seem to be stuck 'between a rock and a hard place'. I dare not give you much in the way of advice as it may very well be incorrect.....however from what you say it does seem to be the case that you may only be able to claim UK state welfare benefits if you do have a 'legal seperation' form drawn up (and translated into English and notarised if it is drawn up in Venezuala).
However, this is my take on your situation but I must stress that
it's my personal opinion and certainly not an authoritative comment :.....Assuming that you did indeed have a legal seperation document drawn up for you to claim Income Support or to get housing via a housing association or local council ***it does NOT commit you to finalising a divorce***
Then when your husband is in a position to join you in the UK - and at this point I would guess that (according to your other posts) you would most likely be working and no longer claiming income support; you would just need cease your claim to any single parent benefits/allowances (eg. the single parent 'top-up' allowance with your Child Benefit payments) by writing to the Child Benefit Centre.
Of course, as you are not divorced, you just terminate your legal seperation agreement - obviously many seperated couples do decide to get back together anyway and as far as I'm aware - because you are *not* divorced and are reuniting I would presume that it shouldn't affect your husband's application for a visa to join you or to become a British citizen.
If you weren't a British citizen yourself Ilene, your family would almost certainly be considered as asylum seekers fleeing from persecution and the social service teams would be on hand as soon as you mention 'asylum seeker' or 'refugee' at the airport to assist you and sort out housing and govt. benefits....but of course being British you can't actually do that! It's crazy and annoying isn't it?!!! When you think about it, you *will* be (physically) seperated anyway if he's in South America and you're in the UK LOL!
Perhaps if you can communicate with the Citizen's Advice Bureau near your relative's home in Norfolk they might be able to suggest your options, or/and to ask your family if they can check with the Home Office or an immigration lawyer re; your husband's status if you do have a legal seperation but 'get back together'?
If I can find any more info I'll post the links, but I'm working at Newark airport right now (it's a quiet time so I'm writing this in between helping people here...)
Oh dear....you seem to be stuck 'between a rock and a hard place'. I dare not give you much in the way of advice as it may very well be incorrect.....however from what you say it does seem to be the case that you may only be able to claim UK state welfare benefits if you do have a 'legal seperation' form drawn up (and translated into English and notarised if it is drawn up in Venezuala).
However, this is my take on your situation but I must stress that
it's my personal opinion and certainly not an authoritative comment :.....Assuming that you did indeed have a legal seperation document drawn up for you to claim Income Support or to get housing via a housing association or local council ***it does NOT commit you to finalising a divorce***
Then when your husband is in a position to join you in the UK - and at this point I would guess that (according to your other posts) you would most likely be working and no longer claiming income support; you would just need cease your claim to any single parent benefits/allowances (eg. the single parent 'top-up' allowance with your Child Benefit payments) by writing to the Child Benefit Centre.
Of course, as you are not divorced, you just terminate your legal seperation agreement - obviously many seperated couples do decide to get back together anyway and as far as I'm aware - because you are *not* divorced and are reuniting I would presume that it shouldn't affect your husband's application for a visa to join you or to become a British citizen.
If you weren't a British citizen yourself Ilene, your family would almost certainly be considered as asylum seekers fleeing from persecution and the social service teams would be on hand as soon as you mention 'asylum seeker' or 'refugee' at the airport to assist you and sort out housing and govt. benefits....but of course being British you can't actually do that! It's crazy and annoying isn't it?!!! When you think about it, you *will* be (physically) seperated anyway if he's in South America and you're in the UK LOL!
Perhaps if you can communicate with the Citizen's Advice Bureau near your relative's home in Norfolk they might be able to suggest your options, or/and to ask your family if they can check with the Home Office or an immigration lawyer re; your husband's status if you do have a legal seperation but 'get back together'?
If I can find any more info I'll post the links, but I'm working at Newark airport right now (it's a quiet time so I'm writing this in between helping people here...)
