Need to move home after huge medical issues - broke and homeless
 

Hi all,

I am currently in the USA but need to move home as I cannot work. My work visa is valid through to 2015, but last year I had an accident. To cut a long story short, a slip and broken leg turned into a 40 week layoff, a left below knee amputation, brain surgery to remove infected abscess and to cap it all a liver transplant. Need less to say that is quite life changing and I am now diagnosed with chronic depression. Due to the meds etc. I am not really able to work, I currently turn up and thats about it, which is very difficult. I can sign off on benefits but it is not enough to live on as I qualify for not a lot being Johnny
Foreigner.

I therefore need to return home, as I have been away since 2009, I think I should pass the HRT test, but the problem is I am disabled (prosthetic), on permanent meds which tire me out easily, have about 400GBP and nowhere to go.

Dont like the odds of getting any help really, but does anyone have any suggestions? I have my mother in the UK but due to personal circumstance there is no chance of being taken in there. I don't really have any friends to speak of that can take me in either. I am a bit panicky now and am seeking advice everywhere. Councils have all replied in emails they cant even hint if I would "possibly" qualify for anything and told me i have to turn up to get any questions answered, which is pretty hard while I'm over here.

Any suggestions, help, advice welcomed.

Thanks in advance to anyone who chips in.

M.

Re: Need to move home after huge medical issues - broke and homeless
 

Have you been in contact with your local GB consulate or the embassy in Washington? I am guessing they must have experience of precedence like this to help and maybe best to advise since they are not in the UK (as opposed to local councils with immediate local concerns).

The only thing I can say, is to work on the move hopefully with consular help. I can only ad that if the consular system helps with UK citizens in foreign jails they presumably have a channel of help for your case.

Re: Need to move home after huge medical issues - broke and homeless
 

Hadnt thought of talking to the consulate over here. Thank you squire!

Re: Need to move home after huge medical issues - broke and homeless
 

Can you not claim unemployment for 6 months as you have previously worked and was laid off? doesn't matter if you are a foreigner or not if you have paid in you can claim. Between that and possibly food stamps, food bank etc I know it's not ideal but could you get by for the time being?

Re: Need to move home after huge medical issues - broke and homeless
 

Yes, i am in the 6 month trial return to work period and can get long term disability, but it's at 60% salary which is nothing. Wouldn't pay rent anywhere.

Re: Need to move home after huge medical issues - broke and homeless
 

Can't help you I'm afraid, but you have my sympathies, horrible experience to have to go through.

Re: Need to move home after huge medical issues - broke and homeless
 

I don't think You can't claim benefits (unemployment/food stamps etc) if you are here on a work visa, you have to have a green card or be a citizen and I "think" you have to have paid in for 40 quarters in order to qualify.

mutley1966, so sorry to read about all you have gone through. Can you clarify are you in the US on a green card or a visa?

Re: Need to move home after huge medical issues - broke and homeless
 

Its three yrs of residency then he can apply for a green card.

Also whats HRT, surely you can just move home. I'm really sorry about your experiences...

Re: Need to move home after huge medical issues - broke and homeless
 

HRT is the habitual residency test that the UK benefits systems uses to assess if you are now resident again. Legally, British citizens are habitually resident the day they arrive back in the UK if they intend to remain and can be proved by registering with a GP for example.

Re: Need to move home after huge medical issues - broke and homeless
 

you gotta laugh, yes, they reckon HRT....hahaha

Re: Need to move home after huge medical issues - broke and homeless
 

5 years - $1200 = 1 SSI credit, and you can only earn 4 a year. I would make the 20 total you need by end of feb, but then its a case of because of my visa (green card in processing for god knows how long) can I get any. I get disability from work insurance if i go off, but its nothing.

Re: Need to move home after huge medical issues - broke and homeless
 

Sorry Sue, 1st extension of an H1B with green card application in, but that will take forever. only been in since end 2011, 4 months before i had the accident (Jan 2012)

Re: Need to move home after huge medical issues - broke and homeless
 

ah ok, check on that then because it's my understanding that if you are on a H1 visa you wouln't be entitled to claim any benefits in the US. I'm also assuming that your Green Card application is employment based and sponsored by your employer, so one wonders if the application would be approved given your current circumstances. Is your employer helping you at all? Eg Would they be willing to pay for your flight back to the UK?

Have you narrowed down areas in the UK that you are hoping to move back to?

Re: Need to move home after huge medical issues - broke and homeless
 

If you paid for long term disability with post-tax dollars, then the 60% payments won't be taxable. Worth checking. Some explanation here:

http://www.longtermdisabilityanderis...nefits-taxable

Re: Need to move home after huge medical issues - broke and homeless
 

What an experience! So sorry to hear about it.....

if you do return to the UK its worth speaking to the local disability team, I can remember dealing with similiar cases when I worked in the UK, as you may know theres been a huge shake up of disability benefits etc in the UK of late... However, atleast you'd get free health care and you might be able to apply for housing as Im sure you'd be classed as a resident once you arrive back.

Best of luck