Making a commitment, but which is best?
 

Hello all,

I’m British with a US green card through marriage, currently completing a PhD. We are trying to decide where best to settle next year but a lot will depend on job opportunities, although that will depend on where most energy is invested in applications. I’m 40, so it’s like starting again in many ways.

If we settle in the UK, then we have the NHS, I will get a state pension. If we settle in the US then we have neither.

If we settle in the US, then is it wise to keep paying UK National Insurance, just in case we decide that living in the UK will bring us more security in the long term?

What do other people do? If settling in the US have you managed to make a clean break and not looked back? Have you given up payment of UK National Insurance contributions and then regretted it?

I really don’t know what to do for the best. But it would be helpful to know what others have chosen to do in this situation.

Thank you.

Re: Making a commitment, but which is best?
 

From my years on the forums (no, I am not and never have been a Brit), I have seen many Brits take US citizenship when eligible so that they can be free to bounce back and forth across the Atlantic without having to deal with immigration. Many also make voluntary contributions.

No one can tell you which is better for you. Only you and your wife can make that decision based on your desires, lifestyle, needs, wants, job opportunities, etc.

I see many here who live and work in the US and one will return to the UK to retire with their US 401K's, private pension plans and social security benefits in addition to what they will get back in the UK. Not a bad way to approach retirement.

Re: Making a commitment, but which is best?
 

If you decide to live in the US why would you not get a Government pension here? i.e paying into Social Security; even a private pension.

At age 40 you have, potentially, another 25 years to accumulate a Social Security pension and a private pension.

I moved to the US at age 50 and continued paying voluntary contributions to the UK.

When did you move to the US? Had you been paying NIC in the UK prior to that? A lot depends on what you had accumulated in the UK prior to moving to the US. At age 40 presumably you have paid into either US or UK Social security programs and/or private pension schemes; so from herein you are building on that ?

Re: Making a commitment, but which is best?
 

state pension is pittance is it not?

nhs doesn't do preventative very well vs us healthcare, so I would argue medicaid through social security is better than the NHS. I have relatives who are seniors and the care they get is second to none, especially preventative stuff.

Re: Making a commitment, but which is best?
 

A senior gets Medicare, not Medicaid. And unlike the NHS, Medicare is not free.

Re: Making a commitment, but which is best?
 

Depends on income, I think.

Re: Making a commitment, but which is best?
 

my bad, but social security pays like 80% of it i believe.

my point about the actual care you receive vs the nhs still stands. i'd rather pay for superior care than wait in lines for months or be denied meds/treatment because where i live isn't in the right zip code.

Re: Making a commitment, but which is best?
 

What in the world does a person's zip code have to do with paying for Medicare? If a person's income is low enough, yes, help is available as another poster mentioned.

Re: Making a commitment, but which is best?
 

Yep, if you move to the US you have the opportunity to pay into both UK NIC and US SS taxes and get both UK state pension and US SS.

Re: Making a commitment, but which is best?
 

Medicare Part A is free, Medicare Part B costs most people $121/month. Then you also have to buy supplemental insurance to cover things that Medicare doesn't and that will either have high deductibles or cost a another couple of hundred a month. The theres the cost of drugs which are very expensive in the US.

Re: Making a commitment, but which is best?
 

was talking about the nhs. healthcare is rationed in the uk, that's the bit about socialized medicine you never hear from the fan boys.

Re: Making a commitment, but which is best?
 

At least 27 years. :nod:

@Rick: Don't fall into the trap of trying to plan your life on the assumption that everything is fixed. A lot can change between now and when you retire, and a lot more after you retire, and I certainly wouldn't bet on the NHS existing in its current forum 27 years from now.

Re: Making a commitment, but which is best?
 

After 5 years living in the USA we got a green cards (including my wife and children) and decided to make a clean break and stopped paying NI contributions. However I changed my mind some years later and started paying voluntary contributions as it is actually a very good deal, and is paid out no matter where in the world one lives. Currently the full pension is ~£7,800/year. The same goes for US SS, once you have 10 years contributions then you are eligible for SS and is paid out no matter where in the world you live.

Re: Making a commitment, but which is best?
 

Have you ever even lived in the UK?

Re: Making a commitment, but which is best?
 

At Class 3 contribution rates it isn't quite such a good deal. If Rick doesn't already have about 20 years of contributions, and doesn't/ isn't allowed to take advantage of the Class 2 rates to catch up any recent missing years, and has to contribute for the next 25 years at class 3 rates (Class 2 is no longer available for expats after 2017), and if he still does not reach 35 years of contributions required for a "full pension", then the deal might not be so great after all. :unsure:

Re: Making a commitment, but which is best?
 

"Socialised medicine?"
You really have drunk the koolaid haven't you.

Re: Making a commitment, but which is best?
 

:thumbsup:

Two months ago our friend here in England was feeling tired and out of breath. He went to the doctor who immediately referred him to a cardiologist who scheduled tests including an echo-cardiogram which showed that the blood flow was low and a valve was in need of replacing.

It was decided he was still fit enough at age 73 to have the full open heart surgery and the doc said he would fit a new valve 25mm in diameter which is big enough so that when he needed another one in 10+ years a smaller stent valve could be put in place through a vein. (he is fit enough to still be cycling and swimming every week so the doctor wants to get him back to full blood flow).

The doc said that since he was going to open him up he also wanted an angiogram done to see if there were any blockages needing by-pass surgery (there were no blockages).

He had the surgery on Wednesday (4 hour op), spent a night in the ICU, then next morning he was moved to the HDU where he was sat up drinking coffee and eating toast. We went in to see him yesterday (Saturday) and he was sitting in the chair by the bed and was taking himself to and from the toilet when needed. While we were there they moved him from the HDU into his own side room in an adjacent ward and he walked there himself, with me and my wife carrying his personal belongings.

He's hoping to be home in 2 or 3 days.

I have similar excellent stories from various relatives ranging from back surgery to early detection and surgery to fix cervical cancer, to a kidney replacement after a mere 6 weeks on the donor waiting list. (This for a 28 year old niece of my wife).

We've lived in the USA for 29 years and have had excellent employer insurance coverage, plus great hospital treatment, but I have no worries at all about now being back in England and using the NHS.

Re: Making a commitment, but which is best?
 

I hope that he continues to make good progress. All my experiences with the NHS with family and friends are equally positive.

Re: Making a commitment, but which is best?
 

Thanks. I was exchanging emails with him last night and this morning. The last time I was in an NHS hospital was 1984 when I had surgery on my foot. Like my friend I had a private room in which to recover for a couple of days but now with smart phones you are always in contact with friends and relatives via the internet.

Re: Making a commitment, but which is best?
 

Before he drunk the koolaid it was called free healthcare.

I find the dentistry in the US much better, but also much more expensive in the US. The NHS can vary a lot by postcode, if you live in a more affluent area or an area that gets a lot of grant money the care is much quicker, not necessarily better.