Moving Back To The UK
 

My wife was out today and usually she comes back with the news yet another couple with a young family are moving back to the UK.

Today she met a couple who have two young daughters who used to go to our daughter's Spanish school. They are out here for a holiday (surely they should be back at school now).

Anyway their daughters really struggled at first because they had never been to school in the UK, he is a builder and has struggled a little for work. If they could they say they would be back here in Spain in a shot - if they could make a living which clearly they failed to do the first time (when things were still thriving).

It was interesting to hear all of this because you hear of people moving back but then you never hear anything after that.

Do people move back and are really glad they did so?
Do people move back and find the schools in the UK much better?
Any feedback from anyone who has moved back?

Re: Moving Back To The UK
 

Reading in other forums, a lot have gone back and seem to be happy, but then they would say that! :) Bit like someone on here telling us that Spain is everything the UK isn't, and they are all blissfully happy in Spain :p It seems to be the norm that when people move to Spain, or viceversa, they like to slag off the place they left.:confused:

Re: Moving Back To The UK
 

Everyone has a story, some sad some happy. I would suggest we are fortunate to live in a time where we can choose.

Re: Moving Back To The UK
 

There is a specific forum for it HERE

Re: Moving Back To The UK
 

Ive done it twice before.

Hated it and here we are 3rd time.

Spain is like a drug sometimes.It gets you and you are hooked.

I know what the poor people must be feeling cos its awful if you dont slot back in and if you were really happy in Spain you never will be unless you return to spain again and this is what weve done.

Things wont always be bad and economics will change for the better again.

And never give up the dream because you would die sad.

Re: Moving Back To The UK
 

the private schools dont go back till next week..............

Re: Moving Back To The UK
 

When I go back to the UK for visiting family, I find myself missing Spain a hell of a lot more than I miss the UK when I'm here. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm just back there for visiting and my life is still continuing in Spain.

I honestly think I would now need professional help mentally to become happy in the UK again. I just couldnt manage it! Spain is like a drug and i'm hooked. Im totally hooked on the sunshine too!

Re: Moving Back To The UK
 

We moved back last november, unfortunately we had no choice, it was for financial reasons, and we had a baby so had to think of him rather than ourselves. I miss Spain a lot, i miss my friends, i miss the weather, i'm constantly sat looking at the webcam......missing it. Bit sad really. Its okay here and its nice to go to tesco.....but the novelty soon wears off. The only thing crazily enough i am looking forward to this year is the winter, because you have the carpets and central heating. The summer i didn't look forward to at all and i was right to because it was over in the blink of an eye! And we are in a good part of england.

If we could survive, then i would be back in spain in a flash, but unfortunately we can't.....it seems that at the minute unless you work in the UK and go back and forth or are retired its hard work surviving in spain right now. I have a lot of friends who are desperately trying to sell their properties to get back to the UK as its all going pear shaped for them with employment. Its such a shame because it is a lovely country. I keep saying to my husband that i can put up with the UK for the time being if he promises we can go back and retire there!!

Re: Moving Back To The UK
 

Similar story here in Hondon Valley, Costa Blanca South... relationships straining, money tight, jobs scarce and couples selling up (or trying to).

BUT WE ARE IN GLOBAL MESS at the moment and most of us didn't see the enormity of it happening... pull ya belts in - it's still a bumpy ride for a while.

Re: Moving Back To The UK
 

Yes you're right, we are in a global mess. But even though my husband has a job and we would not want to rely on benefits, if he lost his job tomorrow (we were both made redundant in spain) we would be looked after.....

Re: Moving Back To The UK
 

So why aren't you getting benefits here - if you paid into the Spanish system surely there is no harm / shame in taking back out. I know of a lot of people here who are drawing 'dole' - after being made redundant, most worked in the Property Industry... and they tell me the 'dole' for at least a year ( I think) is linked to their last year's salary - so very livable. Not sure how long it lasts though ?!?!?

Re: Moving Back To The UK
 

It doesn't last very long, and it isn't as easy to get as over here, probably because there is a lot of pressure on the system over there right now. I know there is no shame in claiming the money but in our heads we wanted to 'earn' money, so we did actually struggle on for another year after losing our jobs which was hard as it all happened when i was 3 months pregnant, but we started our own business and it was quite successful in bits, but at the end of the day, we felt we couldn't rely on the hit and miss wages we were getting, and we were getting really stressed by the whole situation. So in the end it was agreed that my husband would fly home for job interviews and luckily for us he got offered two jobs, when he came back we were gone in 2 weeks. I knew when we went back that this wasn't what i wanted but i felt that it was a too unstable life for my son. I don't worry as much as i did now we're here which i suppose is something, and when i speak to my friends there i think that i don't envy what they're going through. But also, in a way i don't really feel 'right' here. But never mind....maybe one day!

Re: Moving Back To The UK
 

How long it lasts depends on how long you've been contributing. They looks at your last 6 (I think) years and for each year of contributions you get either 3 or 4 (again can't remember) months of payments, up to a max of 2 years.

Provided you've been making contributions it's not that difficult.

Re: Moving Back To The UK
 

Well how difficult it is is debatable when you have a newborn baby and you're stressed out from not earning any money, i know from experience that a lot of official things in spain take several trips to several different places! Also, as i posted previously we decided to try and ride it out for a year using our savings and starting our own business by which point it would have been too late to claim. But anyway, like i said before, we preferred to earn money and when all is said and done, we are here now and not there, so perhaps your advice will help others. Thanks for the info though x

Re: Moving Back To The UK
 

You have done the right thing for yourself and family, the uncertainty of not having a regular wage in Spain can cause so much stress.

The wide benefit system in the UK does make it harder fot its people to accept that if you dont pay in, you get no help when things turn bad.

It does not enter into a British persons thoughts, that a country does not help the jobless a lot of the time, and the help has a time limit.

There is a thread on the Italian forum about state benefits for the unemployed and things seem the same as Spain, if you dont put in the pot, tough....you dont take anything out.

This seems to be very harsh to me, but I am used to the UK way of thinking and it is unbelievable to me that people can be left high and dry like that.