Georgie Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Someone on here said they couldnt get income support after being away from the UK a few months. Is this true? Surely they wouldnt let a family of 4 sleep on someones floor would they?? Or maybe they would! We have always worked and paid our NI neither of us has ever been out of work and if we were it was only for a couple of months and that was when we first got to Australia but after ringing round the Yellow Pages we got work (just trying to say we are not spongers). Surely we will get some help. Anybody been in this position? We really want to go home badly now and know its probably the stupidist thing we can do given the job market but we always say that if you want to work there will be a job doing something but til that time will we get help?? We will have been away just over 3 years. Any advice for us Georgie xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 I don't know the answer, just bumping the thread up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErmintrudeMcMoo Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Try looking here Department for Work and Pensions it may be worth phoning and getting advice first hand - alternatively contact Citizens Advice.Another good site is Money Saving Expert: Consumer Revenge - Credit Cards, Shopping, Bank Charges, Cheap Flights and more it has a bit on benefit entitlement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNMACMD Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Depends on how much money you have got to bring over back with you if you are selling a house you would have to live off the proceeds, over here I know if you intentionally make yourself homeless you are not entitled to some benefits so by leaving a home in Oz maybe that would be classed as intentionally and knowingly making yourself homeless, I would check out www.dwp.gov.uk for more answers. Not sure where you would be moving back to but the news is getting grim over here with the thoughts of strikes and walk outs due to more job cuts and businesses closing daily large and small, even talk of us of having power cuts with the energy workers talking of striking. Have you thought of moving to another area of Australia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest proud2beaussie Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 My understanding is that if you have sufficient NI contributions then you would be eligible for contributions based Jobseeker Allowance and other benefits,however someone like me who is a British Citizen but lived all my life in Australia has to pass what is known as the HRT,Habitual Residence Test and that can mean anywhere from 6 months to two years waiting period before being eligible for any benefits,the crazy thing is that there is actually no legislated time that you need to have been in the UK to be considered habitually resident,it is totally up to the decision of the person who handles your claim! But in your case it does not apply anyway, If you are interested though you can check Multikulti : Habitual Residence test and Right to Reside : English DWP - Services and benefits - Working age - Visiting or living abroad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgie Posted January 31, 2009 Author Share Posted January 31, 2009 Lynn we have come up to Brisbane from Melbourne and although we reccied and thought we would like it -we dont and it has made me very homesick. We spent a lot on bringing the furniture up and to take it back down would cost again and we are thinking that although we wouldnt mind going back to Melbourne that eventually we would want to return to UK anyway so why upheave us all again. The house prices are good there at the mo and IF we got work all would be rosy for us and the other end of the scale is we stay put here til the crisis softens but then we go home and houses are once again too expensive for us. Catch 22. We dont have a lot of money here anyway so it would soon be spent on daily living in England and once that was gone what then? I will have a look at info provided but it is very specific question and so far i have been unable to clarify it. Is there no one who has gone back with no money who knows what happens? Thanks Georgie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgie Posted January 31, 2009 Author Share Posted January 31, 2009 Nigel in Oz thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PommieLady Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 I've known people who left the UK as small children to live in a country where they benefit from a high income due to low contributions and once they become seriously ill return to the UK and are entitled to housing, benefits and free healthcare as long as they can prove they intend to remain and have no financial ties in the country they have left. Of course entitlement to housing and benefits have strict eligibility criteria. Further to what Lyn says I think you should prepare necessary information about your reason's and circumstance for returning to the UK. You might get some more info off this thread habitual residency : British Expat Discussion Forum and this article from last year might be of interest Ex-serviceman’s family face ‘British test’ : Express & Star Good luck :wubclub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest becky1973 Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 I am sorry to hear you are home sick! I would think quite hard about coming back to the UK just yet as we are going through hard times and it would be hard to get a job in todays market. Also you would not get a home unless you bought so you would be put in a hostel unless family can help you as you have made yourself homless... You will be get some benifits but i am not sure what they are! I noticed you say you are home sick, don't you have a group of friends where you are? as when i was Living in America i was so homesick and then found a group of ex pats who i befriended and my homesick went out of the window.. ... Good Luck in what ever you do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgie Posted February 1, 2009 Author Share Posted February 1, 2009 Becky thanks for your reply. Its a fact i havent got many mates here as not been in Brisbane long enough i had a few in melbourne and seriously considering going back now after reading all the doom and gloom reports on the BBC News site. It is very very scary to say the least. Maybe we should rethink and use our heads over our hearts but it is so hard. Maybe in a years time it will be better and jobs will start coming back and that is when we want to go anyway. Just hate Brisbane. Sorry to those that dont feel the same. Anybody got a crystal ball out there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest boomerangpommie Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 I was in Australia for seven months and returned to the UK on my own with my two children. I had about 300 pounds when I came back and no other money. I applied for Income Support and as someone who has not really had much to do with the benefits system in the past, I told them everything, how we'd sold the house, gone to Oz, I'd returned without my husband and that I'd probably be working within a couple of weeks etc, thinking that they'd view me as an upright citizen, turning to the benefits system as a temporary measure in a time of hardship and need, which is what I thought it was set up for. After weeks of waiting, I was given the decision that I was not entitled to IS as I had not passed the habitual residence test as I had been out of the country for more than six months. I appealed against this and proved that my children were in school and nursery here, had a bank account set up etc to show my intention to remain here and I even got my local MP involved but the IS people just wrote a long letter saying that as I had sold my house and got PR for Oz, my intentions were to leave the UK permanently so I was not entitled. Luckily we were stayed with my mom until I got myself sorted and I could still get Child Benefit (I think you can also get tax credits for the children, just no Job Seekers or Income Support for the adults - which means no entitlement to full housing benefit). I was outraged at the time, I had always worked and paid my NI and could not believe foe the sake of 6 months, that was all irrelevant. I was told I would have to be here for about 6 months to become entitled. There's also something called tax - related job seekers allowance, which is worked out according to how much tax you've paid in the past but I'm not sure how far they look back at that and I don't know if the habitual residence test applies to it as I never investigated it as I managed to find a job. I really recommend you try to find out as much as you can before deciding to come back, however I also found that whenever I called the Job Centre number I was given to find out what was going on prior to getting the decision, they always said the same scripted line, they were not able to advise on the likely outcome of the decision, it was up to the decision makers (a dark and mysterious group of people who cannot be contacted or spoken to on the phone) and they could not comment on past similar cases, the circumstances etc, so getting the info may be frustrating. Good luck!! :arghh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgie Posted February 1, 2009 Author Share Posted February 1, 2009 Hi Boomerandpommie I have read your regrets and it does scare but saying that we have citizenship so can come back. I have not had any benefits before apart from Child Tax Benefit and Family Allowance so i dont know my way round the system. I dont want to contact the agency either as if i tell them one thing and try and get out of it later they will know who i am. God i dont know what to do and am in a turmoil. I so want to get back. I have learnt that YES the job situation is bad but can i really wait til its over? I am going crazy here. I would go to Melbourne again but i am scared i am wrecking my sons education by pulling him all over the place. I even tell myself its worth losing my equity money to live on just to get home. I know i cant stay in Brisbane. We will work it out as i have til the end of the year and maybe things will be getting better. Decisions decisions Georgie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest earlswood Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Becky thanks for your reply. Its a fact i havent got many mates here as not been in Brisbane long enough i had a few in melbourne and seriously considering going back now after reading all the doom and gloom reports on the BBC News site. It is very very scary to say the least. Maybe we should rethink and use our heads over our hearts but it is so hard. Maybe in a years time it will be better and jobs will start coming back and that is when we want to go anyway. Just hate Brisbane. Sorry to those that dont feel the same. Anybody got a crystal ball out there? Most people still have jobs back here and I honestly would not believe the doom and gloom merchants to much......the UK has a rich history of glass half empty as you know….yes people are getting laid off all over the world in this global recession but they say it will only last at best 18 months and to be honest I have not seen much signs of this recession the supermarkets are throbbing as are the bars in Stratford and Brum when I go for a night out.:jiggy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kernow43 Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Hi Boomerandpommie I have read your regrets and it does scare but saying that we have citizenship so can come back. I have not had any benefits before apart from Child Tax Benefit and Family Allowance so i dont know my way round the system. I dont want to contact the agency either as if i tell them one thing and try and get out of it later they will know who i am. God i dont know what to do and am in a turmoil. I so want to get back. I have learnt that YES the job situation is bad but can i really wait til its over? I am going crazy here. I would go to Melbourne again but i am scared i am wrecking my sons education by pulling him all over the place. I even tell myself its worth losing my equity money to live on just to get home. I know i cant stay in Brisbane. We will work it out as i have til the end of the year and maybe things will be getting better. Decisions decisions Georgie Georgie give it another two years, I'm sure you will adjust, maybe a move up the coast may give you a better feel, I think I would feel down living in Narangba, there is something about the place I don't like, beside the toxic issue.Keep trying.You can always pm us and my wife would be more than pleased to help in advice or meeting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgie Posted February 2, 2009 Author Share Posted February 2, 2009 Hey Kernow How you doing?? I dont know if i can survice another 2 years but i suppose we have to at least wait til the end of the year so i suppose it will be like walking up a hill meaning keep looking at the ground and it wont seem so far. I am getting my dog her 3 years rabies vaccination so we can be ready to hop on that plane anytime after the 6 months waiting period. If i move anywhere in Australia now i am afraid it would be back to Melbourne I should have taken heed when Taffy62 was posting her woes. Why oh why did the world have to fall apart now - i hope things are going to improve towards the end of this year or early next but the way people are talking it sounds like it will carry on til 2011. Thanks for your offer by the way. Georgie x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Victoria19 Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Hi Georgie, just read your post. Homesickness is a terrible thing. It can take over your life. I sympathise. Believe me I have been there. I agree with what one of the responders said about getting a group of friends round you, poms are better at giving you the support you need at this time because they often understand the ever present ache of the homesickness and you can have a laugh, have a moan, watch UK TV stuff, have a cuppa PG tea (or whatever) and indulge in that pommie sense of humour. I also hated Brisbane once (I live not far from you) and it really does take some getting used to. You need a few mates to get you through the rough times. That's not to say you won't make the decision to go back but you need to make it when you are not too emotional because that muddles you right up. (You did refer to making the decision with your head and not your heart and that is difficult but in the current circumstances sensible). A holiday back home is always good if you can afford it and I spose although it costs alot in air fares it can cost more, both financially and emotionally, to pack up and go lock stock and barrel and then feel you have done the wrong thing. I wonder if the air fares will come down in price if people have less money to spend on travel ? Might get more specials maybe. I do hope you get some better 'vibes' soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest becky1973 Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Georgie We are looking at coming to the Gold Coast and i have a friend and her family also looking at Brisbane, fingers crossed if we get their and you are still in Oz you will have new friends, I do think you really need to find new friends as this would take your mind of being home sick. I have to say the Doom and Gloom here in the UK is real, People are losing Jobs every day and homes are being reposessed up and down the country... Before you make your mind up do a list of pro's and con's Good Luck xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgie Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 Hey Becky We have done a list of pros and cons and for us England wins it i am afraid. Even with the doom and gloom. Sure the sun and beaches are great but thats about it for me. Again i dont want to run the place down as some people look for different things but its not for us. We have looked at the web sites for benefits if we need them and it looks like you do need to have savings of 16k or less. Trying desperately to think of a way to "lose" our equity money right now! You say people are losing their jobs and houses in England. Well i reckon the same will happen here without a doubt (though maybe not as bad as UK) and i know where i would rather be when things get rough and thats with my friends and family who will always be there. I hope that by the end of the year i will be able to say how wrong i was and love it here. We will see....... Georgie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kernow43 Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I hope that by the end of the year i will be able to say how wrong i was and love it here. We will see....... Georgie I hope you will be able to say it Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest treesea Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 When we came back, we just lived off the money we brought back and used it to supplement our low pay which wasn't enough to live on. Then, when our savings got down to below £16K, we became eligible for various low income benefits including housing allowance. I just told the DWP I had been away a long time and had now moved back to settle in Britain permanently. It doesn't matter to me that we are only renting after owning our own place in Australia. I couldn't care less how little or much money we had. Home is where the heart is and my land is beneath my feet. If I only had £10 a day to live on i would turn the heating off and wear two pairs of socks. But I would still be happy I am home. I don't hate Australia or New Zealand, I think they are both great places to live and have lived for long periods of time in both countries. We made sure we got citizenship in both places, in case we ever changed our minds, but, so far at least, I prefer to live here. Income support is hard to get anyway, even if you are a solo parent. If your children are at school there is an expectation you would work part time, even though there are no jobs to be had. But don't let the DWP fob you off. They tried to fob us off - we just got our MP involved, and the problem magically disappeared. They act like gate keepers. Working even for a few hours a week, i.e. over 16 hours a week, or earning over £20 a week is much better. Then you can get working tax credit instead if your income is too low, which is administered through the HMRC. You would still qualify for housing benefit if your income was low. They are heaps better to deal with than the DWP. Just straight and business like. I wouldn't be too keen though on getting a council house. Not at the moment. They're all falling down from what I can see, and getting the council to maintain them is a nightmare. It's better to buy a social housing unit. Newly built, usually and better made than the council housing. Also, in good areas, i.e. the developers these days have to set aside so many units in the development, or houses, for social housing. We are looking into one where we would pay a quarter of the price and then the council would pay three quarters of the price which you can buy off them at market rates as and when you can afford it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgie Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 Hey up Treesea! What a great outlook on life you have. Money isnt everything as you say but it sure darn helps! Maybe we could stop off on the way at Disneyland and have a holiday with the money we are going to have to "lose" and when we get back we could buy a REALLY nice car and then by that time we may be down to 16k or less!! We could enjoy having a bit of dosh for a time. Whats the deal with the social housing you can buy? Could you let me know where to find out about it? You know i really hope it didnt come to that and we got jobs though. I am hoping that there are still jobs to be had in childcare for qualified workers. But saying that the mothers have probably lost their jobs and dont need childcare anymore do they:arghh:? Kernow i am with you and hope i do settle as it is so stressful all this uncertainty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest treesea Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Childcare work is probably recession proof. There is, relatively speaking, quite a high turnover in things like nursing, (they are all emigrating! :-) teaching, childcare work and social work. So you probably won't have any problem getting childcare related work. It's just unfortunate that the UK is a high cost/low wages society. Average wages (£28K a year) and even median wages (£23K) a year, sound all well and good, but the fact of the median wage is that 50% of all workers work for less than that, if you take out London the median drops quite dramatically, and £69K is not going to much of a mortgage for most houses in Britain to buy directly. I think the social housing co-ownership scheme may vary from place to place, but up here in Edinburgh, if you earn under £32K as a family, you can qualify. Basically, you locate the property you would like to buy then approach the local council and come to an agreement to buy the property on a co-ownership basis. Barratt Homes for instance, are advertising: "Coming Soon - your best chance to own a new home. Only 70% mortgage needed and no deposit with shared our shared equity". Their programme is restricted to those earning £60K or less family income. This site Shared Equity Through Open Market HomeBuy Schemes gives a good overall explanation about the scheme. There would certainly be people who deliberately overspend, so they can "lose" their money sufficiently to go on benefits. The government do look at spending patterns, and if they find that has happened, can make people wait a further six months before they get any help from social security. But as I have said before, someone, say, who has worked in a car factory and who gets well over the average wage, doesn't plan for the day that he or she may not have a job. Very few people would have £16K in liquid assets anyway, I would have thought. On mothers losing their jobs, unfortunately a lot of part time jobs have gone with the recession. But, on the other hand, companies like Asda have announced expansion plans with new hirings totalling in their thousands. But all this is besides the point. What does it matter how much or little you earn, if you are not located on the part of our planet where you would most like to live? We both earned heaps more in Australia than we do now. But living in Australia when you would rather live in the UK is a bit like really liking gardening but buying a flat instead of a house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lee winspear Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Someone on here said they couldnt get income support after being away from the UK a few months. Is this true? Surely they wouldnt let a family of 4 sleep on someones floor would they?? Or maybe they would! We have always worked and paid our NI neither of us has ever been out of work and if we were it was only for a couple of months and that was when we first got to Australia but after ringing round the Yellow Pages we got work (just trying to say we are not spongers). Surely we will get some help. Anybody been in this position? We really want to go home badly now and know its probably the stupidist thing we can do given the job market but we always say that if you want to work there will be a job doing something but til that time will we get help?? We will have been away just over 3 years. Any advice for us Georgie xxx i went bak after only 12wks away, they told me as i was coming back from abroad i had to wait 18wks for fam allow, then as i didnt have a fam allow number i culdnt clain tax credits, luckily i stayed with my mum n earne a bit of cash, all gov kept saying was its ok u will get backpay, thats about a good a **** on fish wen u need to support two kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgie Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 Lynn Are you from Pocklington in York? My sister lives in York and thats where we might end up. The rest of the family are in Harrogate but dont think we can afford to buy there again. We lived just off Knaresborough Road. Whats the news in York? Is it as bad there as everywhere else? Just read some of your posts and looks like your hubby didnt come back with you. Is he still not going to come back? I do hope you have a good outcome and your family is reunited. Sorry if i have it wrong . Georgie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgie Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 Sorry Lee!!! Where on earth did Lynn come from?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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