Affording for husband to go ahead

[k8bug79]

Hi, I don't know if anyone has been in a similar situation. We are hoping that my hubby will obtain citizensip by descent by the new year. We are doing the whole immigration thing ona budget. We won't be able to afford recces and having months of rent in advance etc will nt be possible for us (one of the reasons we are leaving UK) we are wondering if it would be best if hubby applied for jobs and moved over if he is lucky enough to get one. That way he can live in a studio and look for a place to rent, get a feel for the place etc and have it all in place ready for me and our 3 young children to join him hopefully not too long after.

 

Hwever I am wondering how that affect s us back here. We are in receipt of housing benefit and child tax credits. If he is earning and living abroad do we still have t declare his earnings or would I essentially have only one incme into my household therefore they would increase? This is nt about fleecing the benefits system its just I can't imagine sending money abroad is very quick or easy and I cannot afford to ove at home with the 3 kids on my part time wage.

 

Also would rental properties allow my husband to apply on his own or would we bothneed to apply? I am trying to think of ways not to unsettle the kids, they are 6, 3 and 6 months presently and they don't need to arrive in a new place and be dragged aorund house viewings school views and stressed parents worrying if its all going to fall into place etc etc

Any advice or stories of how you did it would be most appreciated.

Thanks

[Guest Mrs Wrigles]

Hi not sure about the benefit side of things to be honest. Having your OH over there to try and make a start with work and house etc is a good idea for all of the reasons you state.

 

The other thing you need to be aware of (sorry dont want to teach you to suck eggs as you may already be aware) but your OH would have to come back home to travel back to oz with you and the kids as you aren't allowed to travel on your own with 3 children under 8 yrs old (i think that is the threashold fromthe research we have done) but is probably dependant on individual airlines).

 

We have been considering doing something similar when we go over (hopefully!!) and ours will be 10, 4 and 3 so we are considering my mum coming over with me rather than my husband coming back!!

 

Sorry just something else to consider - better to do the research now than turn up to the airport and not be able to travel!!

 

Good luck with everything xx

[Guest shawgorbys]

hi kate im not sure on the benefit side off things me personally i think you should all go together and maybe take a rely with you for a few weeks to help look after the kiddies and you can all support each other my hubby went for a month last yr for an interveiw got the job but it was awfull for me and the kids we missed him so much so you take care and keep us posted on what you do love ,Andrea,Gary,jack,tom,xx

[k8bug79]

Thanks for your reply. It def would be the hardest option, me and my husband are a unit and I don't know how I wold cope very well with the 3 of the children on my own. I don't really have the chance to take a relative with us. Our family all have very different lives than ours and that is one reason for us going, as we get little support so therefore we may do something for ourselves even if it means cutting off that support. My sister does travel a lot and depending on when we get ourselves together to go then I guess I could ask her to tie a visit to Oz at the same time to give us help, but it would be very much time dependant. My Mum has a small child herself and I can't imagine trying to do this with my Dad in tow lol, stress levels would be running high enough as it is!!! ha ha

My hubby is a chef and over here they quite often offer accommodation with a job so the reason we were thinking about this was on the assumption that Oz may do the same. If so it may just leave us a bit more money to get the right rental rather than wasting on a holiday let.

[KIRK AND CO]

If I were in your shoes I would sitdown & iron out the ifs & buts imagine your life in a years time. I do think you need a reality check for your own good Australia will still be there in a year just go with your feet firmly grounded & go together as a family.

[k8bug79]

If I were in your shoes I would sitdown & iron out the ifs & buts imagine your life in a years time. I do think you need a reality check for your own good Australia will still be there in a year just go with your feet firmly grounded & go together as a family.

 

Thank you for your post, we are not talking about going for 18 months at least, so this is no knee jerk reaction. Our problem comes not from wanting to do this in a hurry but the inability to save a huge amount of money. We have been trying to buy a house in this country for 5 years and so far have £1000 saved towards a deposit, my husband would have t get a payrise of 3 x the amount before we would be better off in this country and as we rent we dont have the luxury of selling up and taking over 40K with us etc etc. of course we want to go as a family and the most I would agree to seperating would be a month o so, just enough for hubby to make sure he liked te ob and get a feel for the area, so that when we come over we have a good idea of areas and at very best a house to live in. What I asked for was not opinions about whether my husband should go alone, in an ideal world of course we would go together, but I wanted advice on the reality of what I would be facing financially back here. I work part time around 3 young children and there is no way that is going to cover the house and bills over here with my husbands wage removed. I don't know if your post was intended as an insult but it certainly came across as one.

[spottydog]

I wouldn't have a clue about UK benefits and how they would be affected and would think you will be best speaking to citizens advice or someone similar in the UK.

 

With regard to your comments around not being able to afford a house etc. in the UK, I would suggest you do some research on Aus before coming out here as it is no longer the cheap place it used to be. As multiples of income, houses in Aus are generally more expensive that the UK and the rest of the day to day living costs are at least on par with the UK. I don't know how salaries for your husbands jobs compare but you should probably check this to

 

You will also need to factor in the cost of the visa's, flights to get here and the mandatory training your husband will need before he can get a job (as a chef there are bound to be health & safety requirements which will mean a TAFE course) plus for rentals generally 4 weeks bond and 4 weeks rent money is needed up front.

 

To get an idea of costs do a search on here plus look at housing on realestate.com.au and grocery prices on colesonline.com.au.

[KIRK AND CO]

Thank you for your post, we are not talking about going for 18 months at least, so this is no knee jerk reaction. Our problem comes not from wanting to do this in a hurry but the inability to save a huge amount of money. We have been trying to buy a house in this country for 5 years and so far have £1000 saved towards a deposit, my husband would have t get a payrise of 3 x the amount before we would be better off in this country and as we rent we dont have the luxury of selling up and taking over 40K with us etc etc. of course we want to go as a family and the most I would agree to seperating would be a month o so, just enough for hubby to make sure he liked te ob and get a feel for the area, so that when we come over we have a good idea of areas and at very best a house to live in. What I asked for was not opinions about whether my husband should go alone, in an ideal world of course we would go together, but I wanted advice on the reality of what I would be facing financially back here. I work part time around 3 young children and there is no way that is going to cover the house and bills over here with my husbands wage removed. I don't know if your post was intended as an insult but it certainly came across as one.

No isult why would I do that ???? & were in your first pos did you say in 18 months so you were not very clear but my answer would still be the same.. From some post i have read australia is now more expensive than uk so if it is hard here (uk) now oz will be even harder.

[k8bug79]

No isult why would I do that ???? & were in your first pos did you say in 18 months so you were not very clear but my answer would still be the same.. From some post i have read australia is now more expensive than uk so if it is hard here (uk) now oz will be even harder.

 

 

no fair enough :biggrin: Yeah we are aware that Oz is more expensive in many ways. But obviously it comes down to personal circumstances. We live in cornwall where the wages are notoriously low. My husband is a chef and over here they are not treated as a profession so the average wage he can expect to receive is between 13K and 15K . In oz they see it as a trade and the average wage is 25k to 30K (all pounds) so even before we start we are in a much better position. The costs of living are the same but as I said in a previous post over here the system is so messed up that to actually have any more money coming into the house my husband would have to earn more than 34K a year, he recently had to turn down a promotion because despite a payrise we were actually worse off each month by the time we lost child tax credits and housing benefit. I feel that is wrong, that a nation has become so dependant n the handouts that it is easier to sit back and take the easy option rather than to strive for more. We have done a lot of research into what we would realistically get paid, what goes in tax and any help we get towards the children and we would be about £200 a week (on paper) better off than here!!! But that is not the sole reason we wish to go. I work in theatre and cannot live in Cornwall and do what I do. I woud have to go back to London and I have no desire to do that. Oz offers me the chance to live ina city but have the lifestyle I have down here in Cornwall. I don't want it to sound like all I am doing is saying "what benefits can I get" but obviously we all have to survive hence the original post. Let ourselves be prepared in advance so we can ride out what will surely be a rollercoaster

[_shel]

You would have to declare his earnings if you are still a couple regardless of where he/you were living. That could mean you wont be entitled to any benefits in the UK so him going and you & kids staying behind could end up being costly if you have to pay out full rent, council tax, no tax credits etc

[k8bug79]

You would have to declare his earnings if you are still a couple regardless of where he/you were living. That could mean you wont be entitled to any benefits in the UK so him going and you & kids staying behind could end up being costly if you have to pay out full rent, council tax, no tax credits etc

 

Thanks thats a real help, thats what I thought

[Guest wanderer]

Kate,

Just having a read of this thread and you at least have your feet on the ground looking at doing this some time away and so you have the time to get organised.

Spottydog gave a good outline of some of the various costs you can be looking at and then there will still be visa fees for you and the kids too?, haven't checked that.

 

But if you can organise to cope with him going ahead, one month is not a huge ammount of time to get a job, see what just one area is like and get housing organised.

 

The only places where he may get accommodation provided would be at some resort places in remoter locations or on the islands up Queensland way and then I'd not think they would have family accommodation.

One thing he could have going for him is that Chefs out here can be a transient lot in some areas and so somewhere like the Gold Coast which is fairly popular year round with plenty of restaurants could be worth looking at for starters.

 

If you are looking at saving on costs to get here, have a look at www.airasia.com , a budget airline that does UK ex Stansted via KL to Perth, Melbourne and GC and if hub does go earlier, consider attempting to find some fellow travellers who you may be able to second into being a companion re children, lots of backpackers always coming to Oz and there should be some way of tracking some down, perhaps on Lonely Planet or sites they use more.

 

Best of luck

[k8bug79]

Kate,

Just having a read of this thread and you at least have your feet on the ground looking at doing this some time away and so you have the time to get organised.

Spottydog gave a good outline of some of the various costs you can be looking at and then there will still be visa fees for you and the kids too?, haven't checked that.

 

But if you can organise to cope with him going ahead, one month is not a huge ammount of time to get a job, see what just one area is like and get housing organised.

 

The only places where he may get accommodation provided would be at some resort places in remoter locations or on the islands up Queensland way and then I'd not think they would have family accommodation.

One thing he could have going for him is that Chefs out here can be a transient lot in some areas and so somewhere like the Gold Coast which is fairly popular year round with plenty of restaurants could be worth looking at for starters.

 

If you are looking at saving on costs to get here, have a look at www.airasia.com , a budget airline that does UK ex Stansted via KL to Perth, Melbourne and GC and if hub does go earlier, consider attempting to find some fellow travellers who you may be able to second into being a companion re children, lots of backpackers always coming to Oz and there should be some way of tracking some down, perhaps on Lonely Planet or sites they use more.

 

Best of luck

 

 

Thanks for the tips. We are looking at Adelaide predominantly but it is god to know th Gold coast may be worth a look, not sure I could handle the heat tho lol, not constantly (like the medeterranean climate of Adelaide) I agree if DH was to go on ahead to scope all of Aus then yeah def 1 month is not enough time, but we already has a vague idea of area we are interested in and a list of schools. We would aim for the best case scenario of him securing a job whilst over here but know that may be a bit ambitious.

I will check out the airline link thanks for that.

[k8bug79]

Apologies for the bitty typing in these posts, my O and my E keys are sticking and the whole top row is a bit iffy lol

[basil]

Hi, I just wanted to second someones advice to call the CAB - you need your advice from experts really.

If OH becomes a non uk resident then I'm sure you'd be eligible for single dwellers council tax payments at the very least. I would think his UK earnings for that part tax year would be used to calculate everything else but CAB will talk you through all your potential costs and savings.

 

Also re the flights, I'm sorry to contradict another post but i can think of nothing worse than an air asia flight all the way to aus with 3 small children. It's a fiarly horrid airline to use on shorthaul flights IMO. I've not heard of airlines resticting you travelling with 3 children but perhaps give british airways a call - they still permit children to fly unaccompanied (and offer support from an air steward) so I would think they may accomodate a mother and 3 children and then you might save having to pay an additional adult return fare.

 

Best of luck with your move

[k8bug79]

Hi, I just wanted to second someones advice to call the CAB - you need your advice from experts really.

If OH becomes a non uk resident then I'm sure you'd be eligible for single dwellers council tax payments at the very least. I would think his UK earnings for that part tax year would be used to calculate everything else but CAB will talk you through all your potential costs and savings.

 

Also re the flights, I'm sorry to contradict another post but i can think of nothing worse than an air asia flight all the way to aus with 3 small children. It's a fiarly horrid airline to use on shorthaul flights IMO. I've not heard of airlines resticting you travelling with 3 children but perhaps give british airways a call - they still permit children to fly unaccompanied (and offer support from an air steward) so I would think they may accomodate a mother and 3 children and then you might save having to pay an additional adult return fare.

 

Best of luck with your move

 

 

Yeah I didn't think of the CAB so I think I will take up that advice.

We are nowhere near ready to start thinking about flights tbh, but its always good to get links so we can save them in our research. I don't relish the idea of travelling with 3 children on my own or coping on my own whilst eh was gone so i think we'll do everything we can to stay as a family

Thanks for all your help

[Guest britney1195]

i feel for you kate - kind of in the same situation but not!! my husband is in construction and i also work but obviously because of the recession etc had to use all our savings as we had to live - we are also planning to move on a budget!! we are thinking of sending hubby out on his own first but as my job cannot allow that we are in a quandry!!

 

As a mother of four myself - i understand your situation - if you have not been to oz i can assure you the lifestyle is so much better for the children ( in rainbow beach) anyway!!

 

i think i know for you it is not about the money - but it does help!!

 

we sound pretty similar (as in the limited support from our families) just i hope not to offend, but bills are bills anywhere you go! think of your kids and hubby and if moving to oz will even improve quality not quantity of life then that is the best move!!

 

have you thought about looking at backpacker hostels for jobs for OH? although accom. might be not be suitable but you can always "work your way up!"

 

i think it is correct about not flying with too many children , but if you fly with etihad, for instance they usually allow this and will offer the service of assistance FOC - i witnessed on a flight earlier this year!!

 

good luck in your ventures all the best xxxx zoe xx

[Guest Hattie Eaton]

Hi,

Before even I start writing please note that I have no intension of putting you down about your dream of moving down-under but after everything I have read on your post is all about financial reasons.

Yes we have moved to oz to be better of, yes we have dreamed about the life style out here as we visited our firends in Brisbane few years ago to make this decision. My husband left uk before us as I needed to tie the lose ends and allow our son to finish the school term. It was a very hard and emotional process. Finally we are here and all we see is actually we were better of in Uk.

We never received any help from UK goverment, even some point our income was to high and goverment demand there perivious year tax credit back from us, so you can imagine we actually didn't have any financial problems as we both worked very hard. Being here in oz great but depending on which visa you are coming under, my husband is here on 457 visa and actually doesnt give him any flexablity to work on his own ( self employed) which he was in uk as carpet fitter.

 

As I mantioned depending on which visa or under which settlement you are coming into the contry but if your husband is a cook but with no efficial education such as NVQ or relevant paper work for him to use towards his visa application than he needs to get himself assest to say yes he can do what he says, my husband didn't have any relevant education towards his work as he been doing this job for the past 17 years, now he needs to get a qualification to be able to stay here permenanty, which is not easy process and no guarantie that he can actually get the permit permanently to stay here.

Looking in to TAFE which is recogniced college here in oz prices are so high that we can't afford for me to go and finish my course which I started in UK. a year course which I am looking in to get is $7500 for 6 mnts only, there after same amount for the further 6 mnts. course will take 3 years to complate.

Sorry if I tired you out by all my sayings but please think about it very carefully because ones you here there is no going back without spending the same money towards moving cost and if you ask me waste of money and effort and emotional time as repeat.

We are luck that didn't sell our house because I always felt it wasn't going to be a easy ride as much as my husband tought it could be, I gave him a chance to live the life he dream about for the past few years, I gave up my very good paying job and carrier behind for him but now my husband is the one who is regreting with his decision. Now he wishes that he listened when I told him to think again back in UK. Now I am giving my husband exactly the same advise to not to make the same mistake by thinking of going back, deep down I know he is going to regret but hey what do I know.

All the best with your future life, hope you make the right decision.

Hattie

[k8bug79]

Hi, What you have given is good advice. I can see how my original post makes it sound like we are only moving for financial reasons. The problem with text is that it doesn't tell you the whole story, yes this post was about the financial reasons but that is because I haven't gone into the other reasons behind us moving. People have mentioned the Visa costs, but for one my husband is applying for citizenship s that gives him the right to work wherever doing whatever he likes, and obviously if that is as a chef he may well need to gain the h&s qualifications before getting work, we haven't crossed that bridge yet. I will obviously have Visa fees, but again what I haven't elaborated is that we have the money for flights and Visa costs already. We rent so we are selling everything we own to cover shipping the bits we want to keep and we are now working towards saving up the rent, bond and extra money we would need to cover ourselves whilst we settled in. We hope that would take 18 months to 2 years. But as that was all kinda irrelevant to this post I failed to mention it.

 

I must admit one of my biggest worries is living the dream and not liking it. Thankfully we are people that have both said we must do this if it doesn't work out then we can come home but at least we tried. We are lucky that my in laws rent a house out and they have said if it all goes wrong then we can come back to that. Yes we'd have flights to find, yes we would have no guarantee of finding ob over here but we have to try.

 

Please don't think I am out to live on benefits, we both work very hard my husband does 50 hours a week here and I work 2 jobs around my children, we are just cursed with an area that thinks its ok to pay a chef with 15 years experience minimum wage, because we rent and have 3 children we receive help towards our rent and I am not going to say no to that, and obviously we receive tax credits as well as help with our childcare. Like I said until our wage was 34k a year that is the only time we would be better off, there would be no chance of receiving that down here in Cornwall so the only way to better ourselves is to move to London, a move I am not prepared to make.

 

None of this is an attack on anyone, I just want to clarify that my whole move is not about the money, but as a Mum to 3 children it has to be looked at as we have to feed and cloth them. So we are looking at this from all angles, hence why the original question of do we still get our benefits if husband is working abroad. Becasue if not we have to look at another option. There have been plenty of other posts I have written about the schooling, the lifestyle, the houses etc.

 

I def think that best advice I have had and could give is research every thing you can think of. Look at every alternative and then plan. Like I said we are still i the early stages and hope to do this in a year to 2 years. We know that Australia isn't the dream life but what it gives us is the opportunity to work (as I cannot do my career down here, London is the only option) and have the same lifestyle we have here.

I have not taken offense to any posts here and hope mine haven't caused offense either xxx

 

Hi,

Before even I start writing please note that I have no intension of putting you down about your dream of moving down-under but after everything I have read on your post is all about financial reasons.

Yes we have moved to oz to be better of, yes we have dreamed about the life style out here as we visited our firends in Brisbane few years ago to make this decision. My husband left uk before us as I needed to tie the lose ends and allow our son to finish the school term. It was a very hard and emotional process. Finally we are here and all we see is actually we were better of in Uk.

We never received any help from UK goverment, even some point our income was to high and goverment demand there perivious year tax credit back from us, so you can imagine we actually didn't have any financial problems as we both worked very hard. Being here in oz great but depending on which visa you are coming under, my husband is here on 457 visa and actually doesnt give him any flexablity to work on his own ( self employed) which he was in uk as carpet fitter.

 

As I mantioned depending on which visa or under which settlement you are coming into the contry but if your husband is a cook but with no efficial education such as NVQ or relevant paper work for him to use towards his visa application than he needs to get himself assest to say yes he can do what he says, my husband didn't have any relevant education towards his work as he been doing this job for the past 17 years, now he needs to get a qualification to be able to stay here permenanty, which is not easy process and no guarantie that he can actually get the permit permanently to stay here.

Looking in to TAFE which is recogniced college here in oz prices are so high that we can't afford for me to go and finish my course which I started in UK. a year course which I am looking in to get is $7500 for 6 mnts only, there after same amount for the further 6 mnts. course will take 3 years to complate.

Sorry if I tired you out by all my sayings but please think about it very carefully because ones you here there is no going back without spending the same money towards moving cost and if you ask me waste of money and effort and emotional time as repeat.

We are luck that didn't sell our house because I always felt it wasn't going to be a easy ride as much as my husband tought it could be, I gave him a chance to live the life he dream about for the past few years, I gave up my very good paying job and carrier behind for him but now my husband is the one who is regreting with his decision. Now he wishes that he listened when I told him to think again back in UK. Now I am giving my husband exactly the same advise to not to make the same mistake by thinking of going back, deep down I know he is going to regret but hey what do I know.

All the best with your future life, hope you make the right decision.

Hattie