aes1

Well, I guess that settles it then, I will have to renew it. I just thought maybe I could do without and get it renewed in the UK and it would cost me less.

aes1

I had a quick look at this site, it says to take photos without showing your teeth - since when does this rule apply? I have always smiled on my photos......

aes1

Thanks Calle, that is a great help, I am sure there a lots of unanswered questions yet. Also happy to see expats who are already back in the UK still posting on this site, not just disappearing into the wild blue yonder......you can still give us valuable advice! I am a huge list maker, not sure if I am ready to do that yet though, don't know why, may be too overwhelming a list!!

trottytrue

For those looking to renew passports I got my photo's from Walgreens. They were accepted. I now have to renew my permanant green card. Its out in December. I thought I could do it over the internet like my passport but you cant.
Like many of you the only thing stopping me from returning to the Uk is our house is not selling. Not much chance of it doing it over the winter with 5ft of snow that we get. But one day at a time.
I have not been unhappy in the US its just not my home and the olderr I get the more I want to return home. I cannot blame others for my not going home, in 1982 when I wanted to go I should have been stronger and put my foot down maybe I would have got my way.
I watched 'No place like home' tonight. It was the episode of the women from Sydney who had 3 teenagers. Thats where things get complicated when your children are really too old to return to the UK. You have to wait for them to be independent and then return. Unless you leave when they are small you have left it too late. You could tell those children would not be happy going to the UK. I decided once we passed a certain point I would no longer yearn to go home but just get on with life and then when the time was right make my plans. Like I said I have been sidetracked a few times but things are back on track now.
My children are happy and settled in the US they have all done well but its such a vast country that you can be hundreds of miles away from them. The area I live in is very quiet and boring. Everyone has their own family and friends they are not mean they just dont need outsiders and thats what I am.
As for someone telling the story about the ducks being run over. Here they stop for turtles, chickens, ducks, deer. Most people slow down we do have some idiots who dont but so does everywhere and with them its the squirrels. If people think they are going back to a country with no problems and leaving them all behind in the country that they are living in at present they are going to be sadly mistaken. You have to take the good with the bad.
When we put the house up for sale I boxed alot of my things and put them in the attic. I now take a box down every few weeks and go through it. I decide if I really need whats in the box and then I either give it away or decide that one day soon I will sell it on ebay. You would be amazed at what I thought I wanted to take back with me. I even have to laugh.

Irish Guinness

Has anyone thougth how they will transfer their savings,either from U.S. or the U.K. on their return?

Irish Guinness

oh forgot to say what a great thread this is

Fleaflyfloflum

If i promise to behave myself in here, am i welcome to post?

Mr Flea is 50, but i'm yet to get there. Holding off for dear life

Happy to help in anyway. I am even willing to make the odd phone call for people to save them money as i have loads of free calls on my mobile each month that i never use as most of my family and friends all have same phone network which means our calls are always free.

Easterndawn

aes1: Also make sure that your hair does not cover any part of your face as they will send the documentation back. Most of this has come up after 9/11.

Irish Guinness

Ah .....you are a kind wee soul Flea we know you will behave yourself

GagainPEI

Bus pass at 60, as are free prescriptions. Heating allowance (per household), 200 pounds at 65 and 300 at 80 & no means testing. My Mum gets extra allowances for care in her home. She also has a reduced council tax (I think because she is over 80).

There is also a pension top up & higher personal tax allowances for low income pensioners. This site is very helpful.

http://www.helptheaged.org.uk/NR/rdo...r_over_60s.txt

Fleaflyfloflum

Thankyou IG

How are you these days?

Easterndawn

Goodness, this just gets better and better, here in Canada, so many pensioners are having to make the decision of whither to get there prescriptions or get food. You can get a reduced bus pass, but sorry nothing for free,. Since the transportation is primarily in the cities there is no help for country people even if there is a bus system, which is a rare thing. No heating allowance for seniors. I live on an Island and heating is primarily oil and we all know how expensive oil is, there were incidences of seniors freezing to death in their homes in this country, as they could not afford the costs.

No municipal (council) tax reduction no matter how old you are. Thanks for information, I can now tell people some of the reasons that many people are moving out on Canada when they ask me "but why are you going to live there"

Auld Yin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Easterndawn

Goodness, this just gets better and better, here in Canada, so many pensioners are having to make the decision of whither to get there prescriptions or get food. You can get a reduced bus pass, but sorry nothing for free,. Since the transportation is primarily in the cities there is no help for country people even if there is a bus system, which is a rare thing. No heating allowance for seniors. I live on an Island and heating is primarily oil and we all know how expensive oil is, there were incidences of seniors freezing to death in their homes in this country, as they could not afford the costs.

From your previous posts I believe you said you have lived in Canada for 44 years, so presumably have paid all your taxes here and none in the UK. You now plan to go back to the UK and are pleased you can tell Canadians that you'll get free prescriptions, free bus passes, council tax reduction and a heating allowance. If I had lived in the UK all my life and read your post I would be livid that you can return and receive such benefits without contributing a singe penny into the UK Government coffers. I would perceive you as nothing but a sponger. If you are returning only because that's where you want to live out your life, that I can fully understand, but given your comments, I do somehow suspect your true motives.

Old Duck

Relocateme, Sorry it's taken me so long to reply been out of town for a few days. My plan is to return to the UK somewhat financially secure, to that end I've moved from California to Dallas better paying job, no state income tax, cheaper housing I pay $400 less per month here, a second job to add to my savings. The move actually gave me the chance to sell a lot of my furniture/things I don't need, I actually sold more than I thought, why pay to move them for just a couple of years. I have a binder for research such as UK/US tax issues, places to live, employment, health care, quarantine issues for my dog, fly/sail back, poll tax, bus pass, banking in the UK, issues related to credit, or lack of it after 21 years, really just common sense things, I know I can't plan for everything but as I'm moving back alone I want to make the best possible choices.
I had thought that I would make trips back to places I might want to live, but I've decided against that I'm just going to move home and make my choices on the ground so to speak. I have family in the North West, but I don't think I want to move back there, I lived in Shropshire before I came to the US, so I think I'll go back there and look around, I'll be 54 when I move back so work will have to play a part in my final decision.
I had been feeling somewhat alone until I found this forum, my american friends can not understand my wanting to leave come to the neither can my family, I've been told that I'm crazy good to see I'm not alone after all.

Mummy in the foothills

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