Help - general advice/ checklist for moving back to the UK

[Niti]

Hi everyone,

My husband and I are in the process of relocating back to the UK in December  (Yes I know we are crazy!). I feel like I have a million questions in my head so was hoping you can all help in some way or another. Some facts about me to help with answers: 34, British citizen, recently just got AU citizen. Been in OZ for 5.5 years. No children. 

1. Super annu - Can I transfer my super to the UK or is it best to leave it here and access this when I am 60? (I have no plans to return to Australia). How does the tax work if i wish to access this at 60 or earlier as a lump sum? 

2. Shipping - I am using seven seas but as they will take 12 weeks to send my goods, I am thinking of using sendmybag.com to send a suitcase earlier as excess baggage with Qater is a joke! I have applied for my TOR and am yet to hear from them. I have also been asked by sendmybag to provide a TOR reference number. Can i use the TOR ref number i receive for seven seas or do I need to make a separate application?

3. Mortgage - My husband is relocating back with his current employer and I have something poss lined up for the new year. We really want to buy a house asap (we have a substantial deposit to put down). What have peoples experience been like in securing a mortgage without having any credit scoring? (I understand we will need to show 3 month payslips). Are there any mortgage brokers you can recommend?

4. Hubby's work is in London but we really want to live rural/countryside ideally half way from London to Midlands (my parents live there). Any recommendations of good places to live that are commutable to London (45 - 1 hour)?

5. Opening up a UK bank account (hubby has one). I am staying with my in laws so have no proof of address - will this be a problem? 

6. Is it okay to fly back with my UK passport? 

If there is anything I am missing that I should be considering, please let me know!! Sorry in advance for the long list

[Amber Snowball]

Hi, I moved back a couple of years ago. 
1) as a citizen you have to leave your super in Aus. No idea on tax implications when withdrawing other than there will be some! 
 

2)How long is it since you applied for the TOR? Did you get an acknowledgment email? They are not taking very long to issue afaik. If you didn’t get an acknowledgment it might be they haven’t received it. Seperate shipments was discussed recently on here and I think someone said you needed seperate TORs. One per shipment. But have a search on here, it wasn’t long ago.

3) I used Halifax and got a mortgage with a decent deposit and a job offer letter only. I had my drivers license with my aunts address on it and they accepted that. Could you change your Aus bank account address to your family address and get a statement posted? Marisa Wright on here always recommends that. It’s a good idea. The need a street address for posting stuff out and to show you have now moved back permanently and are ordinarily resident.

4) no idea, sorry.

5)see 3 same thing.

6) I think the law says you can but Australia wants its citizens to fly on Aus passports. I don’t think they can stop you but they will likely be highly unpleasant about it. Others might know more about this.

Good luck, I don’t think you are mad if this is what you want to do. It’s not all bad here.

[Tulip1]

Q3, you don't need to show 3 months payslips, a contract of employment will do.   

Q4, to be under 45 mins commute into London and sort of en route to the midlands look at Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire. They are expensive areas but have many lovely rural places.  Worth looking around Milton Keynes, some nice rural areas around there but I think the commute will be a bit longer, over an hour. House prices will be cheaper there though. Actual Milton Keynes isn’t considered good but surrounding areas quite nice.  
 

Q5, if your husband has an account already and I assume he will change the address to where you will be staying on arrival then you could be added to his account and you wouldn’t need to show proof of address as long as your address is the same as the primary applicants.  Once settled with documents, you could then open yourself an account in your own name but at least you’d have access to an account in the meantime. You could even then remove your name from your husbands account if you wanted to.

 

[Amber Snowball]

The other thing is to cancel your insurances on your super. Most don’t cover you if you are outside Aus and they will drain your balance.

Good idea above about adding yourself to your husband’s account.

[Marisawright]

17 hours ago, Niti said:

1. Super annu - Can I transfer my super to the UK or is it best to leave it here and access this when I am 60? (I have no plans to return to Australia). How does the tax work if i wish to access this at 60 or earlier as a lump sum? 

5. Opening up a UK bank account (hubby has one). I am staying with my in laws so have no proof of address - will this be a problem? 

6. Is it okay to fly back with my UK passport? 

Superannuation - as a permanent resident, you can't access your super until you reach preservation age.  At that point, if you take a lump sum, the British taxman will crucify you (you'll lose about a third in tax), so it's best to convert it to a pension.  Make sure you are in a good fund (some of the big-name ones are the biggest rip-offs). If you're not, it's very very easy to transfer so do it before you leave.  When you are settled in the UK, notify them of your new address and tell them to cancel all insurances.  

UK bank account - You can walk into a bank and open an account on the day you arrive. They'll happily take your money.  But until you can show proof of a permanent address, they won't let you withdraw a cent or give you any cards.  I'd say the easiest thing is to see if your husband can add you to his account for the meantime.  

There is a trick you can use:  change the address on your Australian bank account to your in-laws address.  Don't use "c/o" or mention their name - just put your name and the address as if it was your own.  Then a couple of weeks before you leave, order a hardcopy statement from the bank (e.g. for your credit card or bank account).  It will be waiting for you when you arrive.  Then you can take that to the British bank as proof, and when they ask if it's your permanent address, you just have to keep a straight face and lie through your teeth!

Passport - strictly speaking, you should leave Australia on your Australian passport and arrive in the UK on your British one. No idea if it will be a problem.

Edited November 10, 2020 by Marisawright

[Niti]

30 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

Superannuation - as a permanent resident, you can't access your super until you reach preservation age.  At that point, if you take a lump sum, the British taxman will crucify you (you'll lose about a third in tax), so it's best to convert it to a pension.  Make sure you are in a good fund (some of the big-name ones are the biggest rip-offs). If you're not, it's very very easy to transfer so do it before you leave.  When you are settled in the UK, notify them of your new address and tell them to cancel all insurances.  

 UK bank account - You can walk into a bank and open an account on the day you arrive. They'll happily take your money.  But until you can show proof of a permanent address, they won't let you withdraw a cent or give you any cards.  I'd say the easiest thing is to see if your husband can add you to his account for the meantime.  

There is a trick you can use:  change the address on your Australian bank account to your in-laws address.  Don't use "c/o" or mention their name - just put your name and the address as if it was your own.  Then a couple of weeks before you leave, order a hardcopy statement from the bank (e.g. for your credit card or bank account).  It will be waiting for you when you arrive.  Then you can take that to the British bank as proof, and when they ask if it's your permanent address, you just have to keep a straight face and lie through your teeth!

Passport - strictly speaking, you should leave Australia on your Australian passport and arrive in the UK on your British one. No idea if it will be a problem.

Hi Marisa,

Thank you so much for the advice.

I called Hostplus and they advised they can't transfer my super to an oversees pension (unless NZ). They said they only allow this on compassionate grounds or if I was on a temporary visa. Not sure where this leaves me. I suppose I could access my super when I am 60 and keep transferring it over to my UK account, rather than taking it out as a lump sum.

Bank - I will call CBA and see if I can change my address and get a letter sent out. Thanks for the tip!

Passport - I will look to change my passport details on my flight if it is not too late.

[Niti]

16 hours ago, Amber Snowball said:

Hi, I moved back a couple of years ago. 
1) as a citizen you have to leave your super in Aus. No idea on tax implications when withdrawing other than there will be some! 
 

2)How long is it since you applied for the TOR? Did you get an acknowledgment email? They are not taking very long to issue afaik. If you didn’t get an acknowledgment it might be they haven’t received it. Seperate shipments was discussed recently on here and I think someone said you needed seperate TORs. One per shipment. But have a search on here, it wasn’t long ago.

3) I used Halifax and got a mortgage with a decent deposit and a job offer letter only. I had my drivers license with my aunts address on it and they accepted that. Could you change your Aus bank account address to your family address and get a statement posted? Marisa Wright on here always recommends that. It’s a good idea. The need a street address for posting stuff out and to show you have now moved back permanently and are ordinarily resident.

4) no idea, sorry.

5)see 3 same thing.

6) I think the law says you can but Australia wants its citizens to fly on Aus passports. I don’t think they can stop you but they will likely be highly unpleasant about it. Others might know more about this.

Good luck, I don’t think you are mad if this is what you want to do. It’s not all bad here.

Hi Amber,

Thanks so much for your advice and making me feel like it is not all bad of a decision heading back!

I have heard Halifax are great so will definitely make an appointment to see them on my return. Just hope I get a new job soon

 

 

[Niti]

15 hours ago, Amber Snowball said:

The other thing is to cancel your insurances on your super. Most don’t cover you if you are outside Aus and they will drain your balance.

Good idea above about adding yourself to your husband’s account.

Insurance has been cancelled

[Niti]

16 hours ago, Tulip1 said:

Q3, you don't need to show 3 months payslips, a contract of employment will do.   

Q4, to be under 45 mins commute into London and sort of en route to the midlands look at Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire. They are expensive areas but have many lovely rural places.  Worth looking around Milton Keynes, some nice rural areas around there but I think the commute will be a bit longer, over an hour. House prices will be cheaper there though. Actual Milton Keynes isn’t considered good but surrounding areas quite nice.  
 

Q5, if your husband has an account already and I assume he will change the address to where you will be staying on arrival then you could be added to his account and you wouldn’t need to show proof of address as long as your address is the same as the primary applicants.  Once settled with documents, you could then open yourself an account in your own name but at least you’d have access to an account in the meantime. You could even then remove your name from your husbands account if you wanted to.

 

Thank you Tulip - I am so pleased to hear I don't have to wait for 3 months. I am going to look into the areas you mentioned - just hope it will be within our budget

[Amber Snowball]

7 hours ago, Niti said:

Hi Marisa,

Thank you so much for the advice.

I called Hostplus and they advised they can't transfer my super to an oversees pension (unless NZ). They said they only allow this on compassionate grounds or if I was on a temporary visa. Not sure where this leaves me. I suppose I could access my super when I am 60 and keep transferring it over to my UK account, rather than taking it out as a lump sum.

Bank - I will call CBA and see if I can change my address and get a letter sent out. Thanks for the tip!

Passport - I will look to change my passport details on my flight if it is not too late.

The airline and border force are different. I used my british passport at the checkin desk and aussie one at border control in Australia. No probs. Just make sure you have both to hand.

[s713]

The NatWest wouldn't let me open an account without proof of address, the Halifax would, so I went with them. Also, they gave us a mortgage based on our job offer letters, we didn't need 3 months of slips or anything. I'm not even sure I had even started working when they made the offer as I had some time off beforehand.

[Amber Snowball]

20 minutes ago, s713 said:

The NatWest wouldn't let me open an account without proof of address, the Halifax would, so I went with them. Also, they gave us a mortgage based on our job offer letters, we didn't need 3 months of slips or anything. I'm not even sure I had even started working when they made the offer as I had some time off beforehand.

Same. They just wanted a street address to post cards etc to.

 I definitely hadn’t started work when they offered me a mortgage. I moved in to my place  less than 3 weeks after I started work.

[AliQ]

20 hours ago, Niti said:

Thanks so much for your advice and making me feel like it is not all bad of a decision heading back!

Don't feel bad, or feel like you have to explain why you want to return to the UK.

Some people appear to be "overly enthusiastic" about life in Australia. That makes me think that their experience is possibly, not always as rosy as they portray.

I've been here many many years, been lucky enough to ping pong, and whilst I love it here, in my opinion, it's not necessarily better, it's just different.

You go and enjoy the UK

[Marisawright]

20 hours ago, Niti said:

I called Hostplus and they advised they can't transfer my super to an oversees pension (unless NZ).

Sorry, I meant convert it to a pension with Hostplus when you get to pension age.  Superannuation is where you save money for your pension, it's not a pension fund. You'll need to instruct Hostplus to transfer it into a pension when you reach retirement age, and then you can receive a small pension from it. You can't take a lump sum because you'd lose a third in tax, so that's your only option.  Check with them whether they can pay the money to a UK bank account - if not, you'll have to keep an Australian one open (but actually, it's a good idea to hang onto an Aussie bank account anyway - just make sure it's one without fees).

By good luck, you're in one of the good super funds. Just make sure to keep them informed of your address over the years and (as I said before) write and cancel all insurances.

Edited November 11, 2020 by Marisawright

[Marisawright]

6 hours ago, Amber Snowball said:

Same. They just wanted a street address to post cards etc to.

I think I mentioned before that it's against the law in the UK to allow anyone to open an account without proof of address, and the penalties are severe.  So the Halifax has been doing the wrong thing, and they may have been caught out by now - so I wouldn't rely on them still being so slack.

Edited November 11, 2020 by Marisawright

[Niti]

14 hours ago, Amber Snowball said:

The airline and border force are different. I used my british passport at the checkin desk and aussie one at border control in Australia. No probs. Just make sure you have both to hand.

Yeah I am definitely going to take both :)

[Niti]

34 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

Sorry, I meant convert it to a pension with Hostplus when you get to pension age.  Superannuation is where you save money for your pension, it's not a pension fund. You'll need to instruct Hostplus to transfer it into a pension when you reach retirement age, and then you can receive a small pension from it. You can't take a lump sum because you'd lose a third in tax, so that's your only option.  Check with them whether they can pay the money to a UK bank account - if not, you'll have to keep an Australian one open (but actually, it's a good idea to hang onto an Aussie bank account anyway - just make sure it's one without fees).

By good luck, you're in one of the good super funds. Just make sure to keep them informed of your address over the years and (as I said before) write and cancel all insurances.

Thanks for clarifying Marisa. I will call them nearer the time and see what they can do. They do seem like a great super fund - I highly recommend them. 

In regards to a AU Bank account without fees - do you have any you recommend? I am with CBA and have a savings with ING. 

[Niti]

56 minutes ago, AliQ said:

Don't feel bad, or feel like you have to explain why you want to return to the UK.

Some people appear to be "overly enthusiastic" about life in Australia. That makes me think that their experience is possibly, not always as rosy as they portray.

I've been here many many years, been lucky enough to ping pong, and whilst I love it here, in my opinion, it's not necessarily better, it's just different.

You go and enjoy the UK

Thanks Ali  I totally agree with you..I love Australia and it is has given me some of my best years. It was exactly what I needed when I arrived single with my backpack. Now I am married and wishing to start a family of my own, it is time to be back with my family in the UK and make more memories  

[Amber Snowball]

10 hours ago, Marisawright said:

I think I mentioned before that it's against the law in the UK to allow anyone to open an account without proof of address, and the penalties are severe.  So the Halifax has been doing the wrong thing, and they may have been caught out by now - so I wouldn't rely on them still being so slack.

Yes. Repeatedly.

this is from the FCA website, note the word usually.

Proving your identity

When you apply to open a bank account, you will have to prove your identity. Usually, you will also have to prove your address.

A bank or building society will also check that you have not been refused permission to remain in the UK. If you have been refused leave to remain, you will not be able to open a new current account or add your name to an existing account.

 

And from the low income tax reform group .

“People often think that opening a bank account in the UK is difficult because you need lots of documentation – for example, to prove your identity and address.

As such, you may pay an agency to help you get a bank account, on the understanding that they have a ‘special arrangement’ with a high street bank and can bypass some of the requirements. But the reality is that most of the banks can be flexible with new arrivals who need to open accounts. You should not have to pay anyone else to get involved – it is just a question of talking to the bank and explaining your circumstances “

What if I cannot prove a UK address?

Banks know that because you are new to this country you may not have access to any documents whatsoever. However, a bank may be able to offer you a bank account on the basis that you can prove a non-UK address.

Some banks, however, may not need a proof of address at all, if you are new to the UK, as long as you have a suitable main form of identification, such as a passport.

Because banks’ requirements vary, it is not possible to be definitive about what documents they will accept. The documents that can be accepted may differ from bank to bank. It is best not to overthink it – you should just go into a branch and talk to the staff there and see what they require.

 

So. There appears to be be flexibility and variations between banks.

Edited November 12, 2020 by Amber Snowball
Edit

[Amber Snowball]

10 hours ago, Niti said:

Thanks for clarifying Marisa. I will call them nearer the time and see what they can do. They do seem like a great super fund - I highly recommend them. 

In regards to a AU Bank account without fees - do you have any you recommend? I am with CBA and have a savings with ING. 

I have an ME bank account. Has worked well and is happy to use my uk address and phone number.

[marmitegirl]

Hi Niti

I'm going through exactly the same as you at the moment, we're flying in 2 weeks!! Just wondered if you had travel insurance?? If so through who? I can't get any as no Australian providers are allowed to sell it at the moment. I've called a few and they all say no, they can't sell it.

Also, having my sevenseas move cube picked up soon. I haven't applied for my TOR yet (must get onto that!!), when do you have to provide your TOR to the shipping company?

Thanks and good luck with the move 

[Niti]

26 minutes ago, marmitegirl said:

Hi Niti

I'm going through exactly the same as you at the moment, we're flying in 2 weeks!! Just wondered if you had travel insurance?? If so through who? I can't get any as no Australian providers are allowed to sell it at the moment. I've called a few and they all say no, they can't sell it.

Also, having my sevenseas move cube picked up soon. I haven't applied for my TOR yet (must get onto that!!), when do you have to provide your TOR to the shipping company?

Thanks and good luck with the move 

Hi Marmite,

That's amazing! We are literally counting down the days.

I couldn't get travel insurance either so I am going to have to leave it. 

I just sent my TOR ref to sevenseas today - It took 3 business days for our TOR reference number to come through - it would have been earlier, but they wanted a utility bill for our current address in Australia. 

Who are you flying with?

Niti

[marmitegirl]

On 13/11/2020 at 10:50, Niti said:

Hi Marmite,

That's amazing! We are literally counting down the days.

I couldn't get travel insurance either so I am going to have to leave it. 

I just sent my TOR ref to sevenseas today - It took 3 business days for our TOR reference number to come through - it would have been earlier, but they wanted a utility bill for our current address in Australia. 

Who are you flying with?

Niti

Flying with Singapore. Usually we go Emirates but wanted to avoid quarantine the other end. Not that we'll be doing much now we're headed into the last few days of lockdown but just wanted the option of being able going out to the shops if needed/emergency in case food delivery slots were hard to come by. But apparently there is plenty of availability as supermarkets have upped their game due to demand. UAE has just been added to the travel corridor list so no official quarantine via that route either now.

With jet lag, cold short winter days and a new house to organise we're planning on a self-imposed quarantine anyway .

No idea if the flights will be full or not, was half expecting ours to be cancelled or get bumped but it seems schedules are going ahead as usual.

How about you?

[Niti]

20 hours ago, marmitegirl said:

Flying with Singapore. Usually we go Emirates but wanted to avoid quarantine the other end. Not that we'll be doing much now we're headed into the last few days of lockdown but just wanted the option of being able going out to the shops if needed/emergency in case food delivery slots were hard to come by. But apparently there is plenty of availability as supermarkets have upped their game due to demand. UAE has just been added to the travel corridor list so no official quarantine via that route either now.

With jet lag, cold short winter days and a new house to organise we're planning on a self-imposed quarantine anyway .

No idea if the flights will be full or not, was half expecting ours to be cancelled or get bumped but it seems schedules are going ahead as usual.

How about you?

Same we are really worried ours will get cancelled but fingers crossed it won't.

We are flying with qatar as we had a credit note with them. Only 2 weeks left now! Getting very nervous as it's daunting on me that there is no going back lol. 

[Amber Snowball]

3 hours ago, Niti said:

Same we are really worried ours will get cancelled but fingers crossed it won't.

We are flying with qatar as we had a credit note with them. Only 2 weeks left now! Getting very nervous as it's daunting on me that there is no going back lol. 

I didn’t think flights were being cancelled flying out of Oz, only into the country due to the cap on international arrivals.