spainboy

Im moving home in a few weeks and I haven't worked in the uk since 1995 and I want to know and gather any info from anyone else that has moved home what to do. Do I need to re-register back into the system? I mean I will be job hunting when im back plus I have a possible job lined up(hopefully).

Will I get any help from the govenment while I find something? Ive worked all my life and even when in the uk 8 years prior to coming to Spain I signed on in between jobs only for 2 weeks in my life. Because ive never asked for government help I really don't know how anything works.Infact I dont really know the difference between job seekers and income support.!! I don't think i'll be entitled to the dole as I haven't paid uk tax for years but i'll be renting a small flat so will I be entitled to help whilst im looking hard for work? Hopefully it won't need to come to this but I do need some backup if 'this possible job' does not work out and have to look for something else.

Mitzyboy

When I sold my last business part of the deal was that I would work for the person I sold it to for a couple of years. As things turned out I was in effect made redundant after 1 years. Someone suggested I go and sign on, something I had never done before. After an hour long interview it became apparent I was entitled to £6.50 a week, and to claim that I had to travel 24 miles every fortnight to sign on.

Everyones circumstances are different I know, but it didnt give me much faith in the system

Afaik you are entitled to all normal benefits when you go back, including health, immediately. I have seen a 6 month period mentioned, but I believe that is untrue.

Spain was one of the people I remember going back recently and still comes on here, maybe sge has first hand experience

Good luck

Fredbargate

Tell them you are an illegal immigrant with 5 wives and 20 kids in some other country.
You will then be given a big house and sufficient money never to need to work again.

YMF

There is a section on the Consulate website about returning to the UK and you can contact them for further advice.
Yvonne

steviedeluxe

It's true you could end up with little or no Job seekers Allowance, because you haven't paid into the UK national insurance system. However you still need to make your initial claim at the Job Centre (and they will have a special additional form to fill in as you've been working overseas). This will allow you to then claim housing and council tax benefit. You will be overwhelmed by the amount of forms to fill in, their size and complexity, and the number of interviews you will have to make (bet you thought Spanish bureaucracy was bad!) However I would advise you to go through this pain unless you already have a job arranged for you. It's not as easy to get work as some people make out, and even with connections you may find there's a sudden hiring freeze or snag. Make sure you're claiming housing benefit to help pay your bills (and by signing at the job centre you also get your pension national insurance contributions paid). Hopefully you'll get a job long before this initial claiming period is over (all the different interviews and forms filling will take weeks/months before you actually receive anything) but you need to have some peace of mind regarding the mounting bills. Good Luck!

wilki

I returned to the UK, after spending 6 or seven years away, I worked up until I left the UK. I dont know about you, I went to the job centre, I was given a number to ring, The job center will not tell you first, So Its get the phone number, call, appointment , interview, wait aweek, then its yes or no. its a free number but you have to talk for about 1/2 hour, I gave them all my details, after he gave me a time and date to go to the job center, for a interview, at the job center they go through everything with you, then they send your info off, and tell you, you will hear soon if you will get any help, ie dole ect ect. a week later i got a letter saying it had been aproved and I will get 62 pounds aweek.
As I was staying with my family I dont get any help with rent or anything else.
This was short time until I found work, but it helped me when I got back.
I had not payed anything into the UK system for about 7 years. I got what was called job seekers allowance.

missbad

Hi

After our short visit to Spain we came back and we were unable to get any assistance from the goverment.

We had to Live with Garys mum for a while and then save to be able to start again.

xxx

spainboy

I find that one strange. Surely they have to help you in one way or another,ie if you have a flat they would need to contribute to bills and council tax reduction if you dont have any work.
Hopefully I will find work soon. Everyone I know that's gone back has done ok for themselves and keep sending me messages that I will 'love it back in the uk'
Surely it isn't all that bad.

manamama

I think if you already have a rental flat, you'll get help but if you own you house, you won't.

Missbad's situation, she says she stayed with in-laws so they will not help if you live with family.

Anyway, all your friends know you and are telling you you'll love it. Surely, if they thought it wouldn't be a good idea for you to leave Spain, they would be the best ones to tell you as it is.

So hopefully, that postman job will happen..if not, get your CV done and a good suit with a smile on your face and look for a job..ask everywhere,,go into companies and speak to people. A job will not come to you but a positive attitude will get you in a good place. GO FOR IT !!

Good luck

HBG

I know at least a dozen people who have gone back over the last few years.. Without exception, they’ve all done all right for themselves. I’m not an expert, but either housing benefit or council accommodation has been easy to find, depending on the area returned to.

I think you need to take a bit of care over form filling, just like all the others, aren’t there claimant associations or something similar? And it won’t do any harm to leave some money in Spain for emergencies.

I know of one chap who developed immediate rheumatoid arthritis because of the damp weather back home and got benefits because of it.

Another one returned to Spain and was cured of all ailments as soon as he stepped off the plane.

twistedmelon

There is the Habitual ResidencyTest (HRT) but the rules and regs on it are very vague but maybe something you should look into.
If you are not entitled to JSA due to lack of NI contributions you will be entitled to Social Security payments, Housing benefit,council tax etc, especially as you have a flat. There will probably be a long waiting time for housing benefits but firstly you should go straight to Jobcentre to sign on to get SS.
Not sure what your circumstances were here but some factors may make a difference, e.g. if you had or have still a property here.

missbad

Hi

We have done well since being back. However we was not entitled to any help for housing or benefit. Apart from child benefit.

We could not claim job seekers as apparently we intentionally gave jobs up in the uk before we left.
Like I said we had to Live with Garys mum until we worked and saved to be able to rent then buy our own house again. x

steviedeluxe

This may be your biggest problem, if you are indeed giving up your job in Benidorm to return to the UK. Another reason to stay if you already have a job! Having said that, I always thought the amount was reduced rather than cut altogether.
There are actually 2 forms of Jobseeker Allowance - one is contributions based, which you probably won't receive. The other is income-based; I failed to get that because my partner had a part-time job, but there are then other benefits to apply for eg tax credit (if you or your partner has a part time job, housing benefit, council tax credit) Make sure that you ask the job centre when you first apply on where and how to apply for these.
Lastly, although the Spain board seems to have plenty saying "there's always jobs in the UK" it's not the same elsewhere. Indeed if you look on the "coming back to the UK" board you get a more balanced picture - plenty of posters there who've found work impossible to get (like myself, although somone has just offered me an interview as I've been writing this!!!!); others who admittedly did get work. My concern is that you keep talking about the Royal Mail as a guaranteed job - wouldn't others from the unemployed ranks try them if that was the case? I know they set on a lot of temps just before Christmas, but that happens every year and they're all unemployed again in January. I've heard also that certain leisure centre/holiday camps are setting on, so maybe a better idea to apply to them, with your entertainment background?
If you have a car/some savings, it may be an idea to go around all the takeaway shops and offer to deliver for them. This is something my sister does - she only does a certain amount of hours per week (in order to qualify for tax credit) but it gets her out of the house, and sometimes she gets a freebie to take home for supper.
Once again - good luck in whatever you end up doing.

spainboy

My brother is a manager for the Royal Mail, infact it's the only company he has ever worked for since he was 16, now 43. One of his very good friends is one of the people that actually does the interviewing and as with some companies(ie the council) they employ internally and always favour family members so in one way its a case of who you know. Nothing is guaranteed however and im far from taking things for granted but in the last 6 months ive missed two openings when they have employed staff. My brother did stress that I may have to wait a few weeks as they do not give much notice when they empoy. For example they were employing in January just gone which he said was very unusual for that time of year, and this was for managers with full training. The branch is a huge one in Leeds.
I know there are a few mixed thoughts about the Royal Mail especially with the strikes theyve had but it is a good company to work for if you want to make a career out of it.
Also I want to do my LGV licence and as I will be moving to Pontefract they have Normanton up the road which is better for LGV then a lot of areas in Yorkshire so I would say Im moving to a good situation with links to M62 and A1 within a mile,plus I have Leeds only 10 miles away.

It is a gamble for me especially when I have work in Spain but it's not everything when im unhappy here espcially as all my friends have returned now and ive just split for a long relationship here. I realise that family is the most important thing in the world to me and real friends and all of them are in the UK

twistedmelon

Have I missed something or is there no longer Income support in the UK?
There is an online service for checking eligibility to benefits at the DWP site.