Hello.Kitty

ever feel you're missing a trick?

It's always going to be the honest, law-abiding, socially aware people who get done over.

All these people (and more) know how to play the system. Few of them are actually breaking the rules - believe me, there's enough scope to get a lot out of it without having to - they're just twisting them beyond what the invariably honest, law-abiding, socially aware creator ever imagined.

It was the same for the Right To Buy - get your kids onto the social housing list, they turn 16, move out, get the Council House, and hop, can be a home-owner at a discounted price... about 15 years before most university graduates can even contemplate getting a deposit together.

Bahtatboy

Really? If so, avoidable by paying the minimum 85 quid a year?

Norm_uk

That's unbridled socialism for you! Coupled with a complete self-loathing culture we're developed carefully over the past 30 years or so...being a British Citizen means little except you must pay tax to support non-citizens, people who don't work or try to find a job and aid for countries who don't share similar values to us.

Isn't it wonderful to be British in the 21st Century...no wonder the Scots want independance!

N.

Meow

Nope. The payment of voluntary NI contributions whilst non-resident does not entitle you to NHS treatment. Those payments are simply for your State Pension accrual.
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Meow

Nope. The payment of voluntary NI contributions whilst non-resident does not entitle you to NHS treatment. Those payments are simply for your State Pension accrual.
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co durham boy

The right to buy only gives you a 30% maximum discount as it's capped and even less in selected areas.
The right to buy was introduced by Thatcher and it was a big vote winner , changed the housing market for the 'common man'.

I bought my parents house under the right to buy , it would of been rude not too and i also do my upmost to avoid paying any type of tax at all .

I play the system too , like many of us , just at the other end of the spectrum.
I don't buy the current witch hunt of a certain part of UK society , they've always been there and always will be.The right wing media have an obsession with it that borders on insanity.

For the past 15 years in the UK your neighbor would let murders be committed on his front lawn as long as his house price went through the roof.

Now the party's over everyone needs a scapegoat , sad really...

Norm_uk

The media is massively dominated by the left...same as academia.

We have left wing media and idiot media in the UK (with the latter being the most widely read and popular)...if we had right wing media we'd at least have a balanced choice.

N.

co durham boy

interesting slant on it i suppose, i was though refering to the Daily Mail and Daily Express which are anything but left wing. I agree the BBC has an agenda though..

Millhouse

... which in fairness are worthless. I cannot see how the state pension will be available for me to drawdown on in 33 years time...

The bit I don't get about all of this NHS entitlement is...

If I turn up in a UK hospital needed treatment I will get it;
If I go to a Doctor I will probably be seen;
If I go to an NHS dentist, I will not be seen (but that's the case if I was in the UK anyway)...

So how does it work? Would they hit me with a bill after a few months?

Hello.Kitty

GPs will tell you that they can see you, but it would have to be as a private patient - so I'm guessing it's cash before you leave the building. NHS hospitals I'm not so sure about...

Anyhow, Co Durham Boy - fair play to you. I would have done the same had I the opportunity.

Millhouse

Is this if you are non resident, or if you have just returned and re-registered and into the system again?

I assume the former and not the latter, if you start contributing again you must be entitled again.

I really would love to see an NHS hospital turn someone away - no trust would have the balls to make that call.

Madam Medusa

only if you pay £25 to see him/her as a private case...we had this last year when we were home and monsieur medusa had to go to the doctor, i couldn't believe he had to pay...

MM, xx

Hello.Kitty

no, you need to have told your GP specifically that you're non-resident and de-registered with them.

There's no central database that cross-references those who've filled in their P85s and shuts down all government services for them... which I found out the, er, interesting way amid much confusion. Actually, it took about 4 months for everyone to be singing off the same songsheet again.

The really interesting thing was that the NI chaps hadn't been informed by HMRC that I'd become non-resident, whereas you would have thought that the two went hand in hand... or at least had the occasional chat.

And no, I don't think any UK hospital would turn anyone away - they remember what the Hypocratic Oath means... unlike here.

co durham boy

Never paid income tax for nearly 20 year and i see my GP twice a year and it costs me zero

Hello.Kitty

yes, that's my point... the tax people don't inform the NHS that you're no longer a tax-payer and therefore no longer eligible to use the service.

Again, it's the honest people who have diligently gone through and expressly wound up all their affairs in the UK who find themselves unable to use the services they need when they're back on visit or whatever.