Re: Struggling in the US
 

A lot of nursing programs can be done at a community college - which can be significantly cheaper. If they are citizens (and hopefully so after so many years) they should be able to qualify for a student loan. Other than nursing, there may be other areas with a great demand within healthcare as well.

Re: Struggling in the US
 

What IS a good paying job? And I don't mean for somewhere like NYC or CA. Just a normal American city/town, a good paying job would be how much exactly?

Re: Struggling in the US
 

That is still too wide parameter wise to answer accurately for the whole of the US, but let's say we are focusing on upstate New York - we get stung for lots of taxes here, so depending on where you live in state you have to consider what you are paying for (property taxes etc) ...

Moving in on one particular place (Rochester) here is what you get ...

In Rochester, generally a decent living wage (and it is the median wage here) is around $43K, a good one is $60K+ and Rochester has a generally low cost of living compared to the rest of the state ... if you go to the outer suburbs of Rochester like Victor or go further to another city like Albany, expect a decent living wage to be around $60K minimum or more like $80K+ if you are really talking a good wage.

A good wage in general pays towards your healthcare, taxes, food, rent, other bills, and allows savings for your retirement, so these are the things you need to factor in.

Re: Struggling in the US
 

Hi there,

This thread hits on a personal note with me and I wish you well OP. I am originally from Mississippi and all of my family still live there (except of course my husband). My brother, 43, also worked in retail for several years (Kroger). He did not get a college education as he did extremely well to finish high school. He was born prematurely and with hydrocelphalus. The doctors told my parents he would not live past 5 years old. Amazingly, my brother was able to have a normal life up until about 2 years ago. He worked at Kroger stocking shelves and as a cashier. They were careful however to keep him on part-time hours - as they did most of the staff in the small town I am from. As such, he was not entitled to anything when he fell out at work 2 years ago. Sadly, it appears that my brother is having some later adulthood side effects in his brain and it is affecting his ability to walk as well as some other mentally oriented side effects. He has been told that he cannot ever return to work. What's really unfortunate is that he has been turned down for disability twice and due to his employer essentially medically terminating him - he also is not able to get unemployment. As noted previously, MS did not expand medicaid and that is not open to him either. Our family hired a lawyer and we are on our 3rd application for disability for him. In the interim, my retired parents have been paying his insurance each month as well as prescriptions, food, clothing and other necessities for two years now.

MS is definitely not the state if you are in need of social support. I would say either move to a more progressive state and as noted by someone previously, train up in a new skill or potentially consider going back to the UK if you have a support system there.

Good luck to you. I actually love my home state of MS and would not blame you for wanting to stay - health however tends to decline with age and your best bet would be to come up with a long-term strategy that will ensure you are covered - and that might include leaving unfortunately.

Re: Struggling in the US
 

Yes indeed. My cousin did that years ago, and its still offered, and the one has a choice if they so desire to transfer to a university to obtain a bachelors in nursing.

Community college is the smart way financially to start any degree, and then transfer, save a boat load of money.

Re: Struggling in the US
 

Ok :) that's pretty much what I thought it would be, I earn the equivalent of $49000 here in the UK and that is a pretty good wage for a 39 hour week. I was mainly asking because I see a lot of people saying you need a good wage in the US to have a good life so I wanted to know what exactly I'd have to be aiming for. FWIW I'm moving to Phoenix so hopefully that kind of wage will be ok.

Re: Struggling in the US
 

Good luck to your brother and his disability application, he probably has a better chance now with a lawyer. Social Security is well known for denying people first and 2nd time, its their way to see if you really need it, but lawyers can usually fight them and get them to back off and look at the facts.

My grandfather when he was still alive and had a stroke was denied 2 times as well for disability, but on the 3rd with a lawyer he was approved.

My nephew has a birth defect of the brain (not sure the name of what his issue is) and it took a lawyer to get him approved as well.

Disability is one sector where I really recommend the use of a lawyer.

Re: Struggling in the US
 

Phoenix still has a reasonable cost of living, should be okay there on 40+ a year.

Re: Struggling in the US
 

We used to have a Library Director who did get Health Insurance, we now have a Library Manager who does not.

Re: Struggling in the US
 

I've only just discovered this thread, and have now read it from start to finish. Fascinating to read all the problems with health insurance, especially. One thing puzzled me, and actually impressed me. This is an expat/immigrant forum, yet ALL (unless I missed one) of the posters were content to stay in the US and tough it out. None (unless I missed one) said, "Shit, I'm outta here! I'm going back home."

I'm not making a point: just an observation. Well done, everybody!

Re: Struggling in the US
 

I remember the NHS! Lost my rose tinted glasses a long time ago.

Re: Struggling in the US
 

Actually there are quite a few that say that, if you check the Moving Back to the UK thread. Some people are happy here - nowhere is perfect and the healthcare issues can be outweighed by others. However, having moved your life it isn't always easy to just go back. Money, employment, dollar to pound conversion, housing, children part way through school, American spouses, all sorts of things.

Re: Struggling in the US
 

Thanks so much. We're really hoping for it this time around as it has caused so much stress for my parents. Of course we have all heard and seen examples of people who really could work and taking advantage of the system - that's why it's infuriating when someone like my brother (who paid taxes for years) who clearly should be accepted is not. Fingers crossed!

Thanks for sharing your experiences...it does show we are not wrong to remain hopeful.

Re: Struggling in the US
 

Because most who frequent the US forum, at least from what I can make out, are relatively wealthy, high earning individuals who have good insurance.

I may have called that completely in accurately of course, but those I can think of off the top of my head as frequent US posters fit that bill.

Re: Struggling in the US
 

Or are healthy.