Getting started - Can you help?

[Guest pauldrums]

Hi, my family and I are planning to emigrate next year. We currently rent in the UK and have a small amount of savings in order to do the move. Due to the high costs of renting in the UK, and a not very well paid job, I will probably only be able to save up enough between now and moving to support ourselves for a few weeks or so whilst jobhunting once we're over.

 

I am planning to find work as soon as I can, I'm a maintainance man here in the UK, but have lots of other skills, so not too worried that I won't find work.

 

However, if it takes a while to find work, is there a benefits system that we could utilise like the working tax credits, housing benefits, child benefits etc, like there is here?

 

We have contacted centrelink but have no response yet...

 

My wife is an Australian citizen and lived there for her teenage years, and our children aged 3 to 10 are citizens by descent. But because I'm not a citizen and will probably be on a working visa would we be eligible for any benefits should the need arise?

 

Hope you can give me some advice, thanks for your time.

[starlight7]

If your wife is a citizen then I think she could get benefits but not sure about you- usually you have to live here for 2 years as far as I know but because your wife is Australian it may be different. Rents here are pretty high- about the same as in the UK in fact unless you live right out in Woop woop. Why don't you check out the immigration site?

http://www.immi.gov.au/

[Guest pauldrums]

Many thanks for your reply starlight7, I will study the immigration site...