Please could anybody help me, my sister in law is moving back to the uk and has been told that to claim housing benefit she needs to complete a form called a habitual residency test, does anybody know what this is and can i find the test on the internet.
thankyou

No, I don't think you can download anything. Basically as far as I know it is a series of questions to ascertain whether you have maintained links with the UK while you've been abroad (like a bank account, or visiting family regularly) so that they know you are actually going to live in the UK and have not just come back in order to claim Benefits/Healthcare and that the moment you are granted them you will be gone again.

If they are not satisfied as to this , there may be a few months' wait to claim these things.

Here is some more information, which applies to Colchester, but I assume it is similar everywhere.

http://www.colchester.gov.uk/Info_pa...14&sec_id=1560

Note it does say that a returning British Citizen 'should not fail the test'.

There's also this that I found via this site:

http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Artic...ence-test.html

Hope this helps.

http://www.counselandcare.org.uk/ass...d_Services.pdf

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question...3084108AA19CJI

http://www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/ipc/country.asp

Just a few snippets that may assist. I wish you luck and a happy new year.

Thanks for the advice,i have passed the info on to my sister in law..........she was very grateful.Merry christmas to u all too.