not2old

Forgive me if this specific topic has been covered previously in part.

My op is about 'retired folks at state pension age and who are also expats.

Q: Is Ireland a better retirement option for returning British expats, rather than moving back to or living in the UK?

My observation, others may agree or disagree

For various reasons some Brit expats may choose to move to live or retire to Ireland over Northern Ireland or mainland UK, mainly for the landscape, the Irish warmth & hospitality, the cost of living, council (property) tax is minimal compared to the UK, renting and/or house prices are less than on the mainland UK and more importantly if the expat is getting UK state pension then they'd likely qualify for the Irish HSE health card, free all Ireland travel pass & household benefits.

Medical cards

http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/...t/Amieligible/

Household Benefits Package

Free Travel in Ireland

Local Property Tax (LPT)

not2old

to add to the thread something previously posted

http://britishexpats.com/forum/repub...roi-uk-854894/

Moses2013

I'm not retired, but a lot of your points are why I'm here. It's always hard to compare different countries and it really depends what type of person you are. Dublin is Dublin & London is London, but the quality of life is very good here and more relaxed. A lot of professional couples in the UK can't afford a nice home these days, but here it's very affordable. I'm in Co. Galway and I'd say that Galway is a bit like Aberdeen, only with more job opportunities, higher salaries, cheaper house prices and milder winters. What I like compared to England is that it's not as built up and there's more potential for growth, meaning more business opportunities.

not2old

to add further ...

After being away from the UK for goodness knows how long, I' wonder if expats rather than moving to UK mainland might look at first moving to Northern Ireland. There is an option for the best of both worlds because of the potential lower cost of living, less crowded, NHS, travel pass.

Then spend 6- 12 months travelling all of Ireland to see if the Republic offers something better while still having all the benefits of being a retired senior?

bigjohn2014

Hi everyone this is my first post on expats, what id like to know is......... my wife and myself both retired living in UK but we are both interested in selling our own home and moving to ireland, we both prefer the republic, but i have big health problems and take loads of medication every day now i understand if we move to northern ireland my health care would be free would my prescription also be free in northern ireland, also we were thinking of buying another house or flat in the republic as well and go between north and south just for breaks and change of scenery, how would i get my meds from in the republic would i have to pay for my meds and visits to doctors which way would be best for us, we really dont know how to go about this move to ireland should we register in north and live between the two homes thankyou for any help and hope you understand what im asking for thankyou again

bigjohn2014

ops sorry this isnt my first post just realised,

Moses2013

It also depends on budget & area. You could by a cheap enough house in the Republic and thanks to the great exchange rate now, you might save thousands which will then make up for health costs. The thing is that you might even be eligible for a medical card:

Medical cards

bigjohn2014

ah thanks moses you are always a great help on here, i really appreciate that, we just do not know how to go about it all we would prefer the republic to the north because its more scenic and slower pace, but its the healthcare thats my big worry because i take so many meds for my heart and other health issues we have to find the best solutions that will be good for me as my wife is pretty healthy, my son and his wife and two children will be coming as well so we are hoping he can find work also doing anything really as we are retired it wont affect us, the houses out side of the towns are big and very cheap as well which is good news on both, so if we just move to the republic we will get free healthcare as we do in the uk, we as a family just feel the uk has nothing to offer us and the NHS is so bad, government dont care about their people just getting rich themselves its all about money with them, fortunatly we dont have a mortgage we own it right out, my parents wereborn in ireland and moved to uk in the 1950,s my grandfather was a policeman in ireland till he retired, thankyou again for the information moses,

Moses2013

Just read this:

What is the Drugs Payment Scheme?

Under the Drugs Payment Scheme, an individual or family in Ireland only has to pay €144 each month for approved prescribed drugs, medicines and certain appliances for use by that person or his or her family in that month. The amount is determined from time to time by the Minister for Health and Children. If you have a GP Visit Card or do not have a Medical Card you should apply for a Drugs Payment Scheme Card.

This scheme is aimed at those who don't have a Medical Card and normally have to pay the full cost of their medication. It also applies to those who have a GP Visit Card. Anyone ordinarily resident in Ireland can apply to join the scheme, regardless of family, financial circumstances or nationality. Being ordinarily resident in Ireland means that you have been living here for a minimum of one year or that you intend to live here for a minimum of one year.

The definition of a family for this Scheme, is an adult, their spouse, and any children under 18 years. Dependents over 18 years and under 23 years who are in full time education may also be included. Everyone ordinarily resident in Ireland without a Medical Card should have a Drugs Payment Scheme Card.


I think you should just ring here and ask about health system for people retiring to Ireland
HSE.ie - Ireland's Health Services
It would be great if you could post the outcome, because there do seem to be a lot of open questions and since I'm resident here working, it's a different story.
Ireland has definitely got a lot to offer and indeed houses are still cheap enough outside the cities. Of course bills have to be paid everywhere, but at the moment I would also say that your son would probably have better job prospects here, but again depends where you want to be. You definitely need a car in Ireland, but if the son is willing to commute a bit and doesn't mind living in he countryside, plenty of options when it comes to housing. Where would you be buying and would the son and his family stay with you?

bigjohn2014

thankyou again moses, my son and family would live with us as i cant do much now with health as im in a wheelchair, thats why we want a large detached house with at least 4 bedrooms roscommon seems to have what we would like Schools, shopping, close by, and price of houses is brilliant, our son has no prospects of a job at all here in the uk its all zero hours and hes lucky to even get 10 hours a week this is how bad it is in the uk he isnt lazy at all he enjoys working but theres not even a warehouse or shop job here in the uk its getting bad here and its unfair that young people cant work, all he wants is a job and to look after his wife and two children and he cant here in the uk, its just the medical part thats a worry to me now i dont mind paying either but son will be out of work when we move to ireland and its a worry because having two children who could get unwell and he would have to pay so we need as much info as we can get thankyou again it really is appreciated and its looking pretty good for us now thankyou moses you have been a great help

bigjohn2014

Hi everyone, we have been looking on the internet at houses for sale, and noticed you have to leave a deposit with the estate agent, we have a house for sale so when buying in the republic it will be cash once we have sold, there are some really nice houses we like and id hate to lose a particular one we like, is there anyway we can put a hold on a house in ireland till ours is sold, being we dont need a mortgage and being its going to be cash, sorry to be a pain but everything is different in different countries thank you again

mrhappygolucky

You need to put down a refundable deposit as it shows you are a genuine buyer and not one of the many messers. Ten per cent is the usual deposit.

bigjohn2014

ahh thankyou very much mrhappygolucky

bigjohn2014

so if we put a deposit on will that hold the house even if we havent sold ours and how long will the owner wait for us to sell ours thanks

bigjohn2014

a lot are owned by the bank it seems