beach pig Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 hi all just inquiring if any of you no if you can claim job seekers allowance when you arrive back in the uk. a family member said we could not until we have lived there for 3 years,is this correct by the way we are a family of two adults and three kids .and we where all born in the uk :biggrin:.we have been out the uk for 6yrs now and not paid any NI stamps in all that time.would be glad of any feedback .by the way i am fully looking to find work before and when we arrive .just wanted a bit of a safety net for when are gratefull arses touch the ground in the uk:biglaugh:cheers beach! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 You have to pass an 'habitual residency test' before you can claim any benefits, it can take up to 6 months. I am a bit out of date with benefits but what used to be unemployment benefit was based on NI contributions but income support wasn't. I expect if you do pass the habitual residency test then there would be benfits available. http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales/benefits_w/benefits_coming_from_abroad_and_claiming_benefits_hrt/british_and_irish_citizens_hrt.htm I know some people get upset that as British citizens they have to prove they are resident but if you think about it anyone with a British passport (& that's an awful lot of people born in Australia) could come for a 3 month holiday and claim benefits. It's harsh but if you are going to migrate to another country (even if you once lived there and/or hold citizenship) surely you must go with enough funds to support yourself for a reasonable period? Don't get me wrong I am about to move back to the UK without a job so I might be queuing up next to you for benefits 6 months down the line! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 The only thing I would say is, I hope the government provides benefits immediately if you really need it. If you are that broke that you cannot support yourself with the basics of life such as food and shelter, surely they must give you some help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 The only thing I would say is, I hope the government provides benefits immediately if you really need it.If you are that broke that you cannot support yourself with the basics of life such as food and shelter, surely they must give you some help. I doubt it - if you have children you may get hostel or B&B accomodation but generally they would expect you to return to the country you have habitual residency in. I have worked with 'victims' of the benefits system in the past and the fact that the person I was an advocate for was 17, had nowhere to live and no food whatsoever was irrelevant, she didn't meet the criteria for benefits and that was that! I was able to get her in a homeless hostel and took her to Tesco to buy some food out of my own pocket. I had a friend who's landlord decided to sell up and she had a 6 week old baby, since taking on the lease her partner had started his own business and although they had always paid the rent etc. they could not get another private rental - they had to become homeless and live in a hostel before they became eligible for council housing. In both the example the people involved were residents of England and always had been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dxboz Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 You can just turn up and get it - no test required. If you have paid enough national insurance contributions you get unemployment and if you haven't you get another benefit which is almost the same amount. I know someone who did this after being away for over 20 years. This was in Scotland might be different for England Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 You can just turn up and get it - no test required. If you have paid enough national insurance contributions you get unemployment and if you haven't you get another benefit which is almost the same amount. I know someone who did this after being away for over 20 years. This was in Scotland might be different for England Where were they? If they were in the European Economic Area they would be exempt from the habitual residency test. If it is different in Scotland I'd love to know as that is where I am moving to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dxboz Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 They had been in Australia. The other one is income-based (means-tested) whereas the contribution (national insurance) based one is not means tested for six months I think. I think you would have to have very little savings Jules to qualify Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Life on easy street Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 hi all just inquiring if any of you no if you can claim job seekers allowance when you arrive back in the uk. a family member said we could not until we have lived there for 3 years,is this correct by the way we are a family of two adults and three kids .and we where all born in the uk :biggrin:.we have been out the uk for 6yrs now and not paid any NI stamps in all that time.would be glad of any feedback .by the way i am fully looking to find work before and when we arrive .just wanted a bit of a safety net for when are gratefull arses touch the ground in the uk:biglaugh:cheers beach! When I enquired at the Citizens advice in 2011 There were two types of Job Seekers Allowance Contributory J.S.A Contributory J.S.A which if you have been out of the U.K for more than two years you will not have Employer NI insurance contributions to your name in the last two years. you will not be able to claim this. And Means tested J.S.A Which you can claim once you can prove residency in the U.K no doubt they will have changed things by now. Types of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) http://www.turn2us.org.uk/information__resources/benefits/working_or_looking_for_work/jobseekers_allowance.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Life on easy street Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 You can just turn up and get it - no test required. If you have paid enough national insurance contributions you get unemployment and if you haven't you get another benefit which is almost the same amount. I know someone who did this after being away for over 20 years. This was in Scotland might be different for England It is irrelevant that you may have paid NI in the U.K for 30 years what is important. Are the NI contributions in the two years immediately prior to a claim of contributory Job Seekers Allowance. if you have no savings then you should be able to claim other benefits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach pig Posted May 14, 2013 Author Share Posted May 14, 2013 thanks guys looked into it and think we will be entitled to income based jsa .just a hard pill to swallow when you here of every tom,dick and abdul claiming for everything when they have contributed nothing to the system .aus has it right when you have to have lived here for 2yrs before you are entitled cheers beach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 When we returned ten years ago (where does the time go?) I signed on. I didn't get much, but it's best to sign on as soon as you get here so you are in the system. I got work in a couple of months, and I didn't qualify for much. The woman who did my application was a bitch from hell btw. I bought a car and she went ballistic. She wanted to know why I'd wasted my money on a car. Saying I should have used that money to support my family, and I would still fail the means test. When I told her I bought the car 'so I can get a job' she just looked at me like I was some sort of moron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach pig Posted May 14, 2013 Author Share Posted May 14, 2013 When we returned ten years ago (where does the time go?) I signed on. I didn't get much, but it's best to sign on as soon as you get here so you are in the system. I got work in a couple of months, and I didn't qualify for much. The woman who did my application was a bitch from hell btw. I bought a car and she went ballistic. She wanted to know why I'd wasted my money on a car. Saying I should have used that money to support my family, and I would still fail the means test. When I told her I bought the car 'so I can get a job' she just looked at me like I was some sort of moron. yeah gonna sign on when we arrive.beggars belief what that jobsworth told you .i take it your all settled now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsmb Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 You have to pass an 'habitual residency test' before you can claim any benefits, it can take up to 6 months. I am a bit out of date with benefits but what used to be unemployment benefit was based on NI contributions but income support wasn't. I expect if you do pass the habitual residency test then there would be benfits available. http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales/benefits_w/benefits_coming_from_abroad_and_claiming_benefits_hrt/british_and_irish_citizens_hrt.htm I know some people get upset that as British citizens they have to prove they are resident but if you think about it anyone with a British passport (& that's an awful lot of people born in Australia) could come for a 3 month holiday and claim benefits. It's harsh but if you are going to migrate to another country (even if you once lived there and/or hold citizenship) surely you must go with enough funds to support yourself for a reasonable period? Don't get me wrong I am about to move back to the UK without a job so I might be queuing up next to you for benefits 6 months down the line! The habitual residents test is not easy to get through and they don't always say yes you can have residency -I have posted on here previously about this but cant find the thread now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsmb Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 yeah gonna sign on when we arrive.beggars belief what that jobsworth told you .i take it your all settled now Be prepared for worse than that we were asked why we bought a house and did not rent and live off our savings !! This despite the fact we were not claiming UK benefits as we had Aussie Disablity pensions all we wanted was a residency letter so we could claim a rates rebate for a lower income Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsmb Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 You have to pass an 'habitual residency test' before you can claim any benefits, it can take up to 6 months. I am a bit out of date with benefits but what used to be unemployment benefit was based on NI contributions but income support wasn't. I expect if you do pass the habitual residency test then there would be benfits available. http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales/benefits_w/benefits_coming_from_abroad_and_claiming_benefits_hrt/british_and_irish_citizens_hrt.htm I know some people get upset that as British citizens they have to prove they are resident but if you think about it anyone with a British passport (& that's an awful lot of people born in Australia) could come for a 3 month holiday and claim benefits. It's harsh but if you are going to migrate to another country (even if you once lived there and/or hold citizenship) surely you must go with enough funds to support yourself for a reasonable period? Don't get me wrong I am about to move back to the UK without a job so I might be queuing up next to you for benefits 6 months down the line! The residency test for us was very demeaning as I said previously we were not claiming benefits just needed a rates rebate We were actually refused our first residency application as they said we had left family and a bank account in Australia That despite the fact we had my Mam -the reason we went home - as family in the UK and a UK bank account - my kids who remained in Oz were 37 and 38 so not dependant ! We were told that because we had left a bank account open in Oz we had not severed ties So I said ok our Aussie pensions are paid into that shall I stop them and claim here - we got our residents letter 2 days later We had sold our house in Oz took the car and all furniture etc I often wondered what more did they want us to do ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 I am hoping for us it will be straight forward as we have a house in the UK, never closed our bank accounts/credit cards. I really hope we don't have to claim job seekers allowance but I do feel we should get child allowance, as that is not means tested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsmb Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 I am hoping for us it will be straight forward as we have a house in the UK, never closed our bank accounts/credit cards. I really hope we don't have to claim job seekers allowance but I do feel we should get child allowance, as that is not means tested. I hope it all works out well for you and that you are able to get jobs etc as its hard enough even when your going 'home ' We thought we had done the right thing and told the DHSS about every penny we had -bought a house outright etc and we were not a drain in the system Must admit even the lass who interviewed us kept apologising at the questions she had to ask Felt as if we should have just said we had got off a banana boat and we were penny less ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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