how can i come home

imhomewardbound

hi hope somebody can help.
i am currently living in europe and everything has worked out badly,i was trying to build my own home here and make a fresh start but now due to personnal and financial reasons i find myself having to return to uk.
Quite simply i just don,t know where to start,will i be entitiled to any help with benefits housing ect, can i find work,(i am a joiner) it seems i need an address before i can do anything but how ,where can i go ,who can i see to help,any advice would be gratefully recieved,if anyone can help please do i will be happy to give more information if required.

many thanks

seven-day-weekend

You will have to padss the Habitual Residency Test which basically means that you have to be able to show that you have come back to the UK to live for the forseeable future and not just in order to claim benefits/healthcare. This could be proved by showing e.g a tenancy agreement or lodger's contract (if for example you are staying with a friend), a British bank account, - basically something that shows you intend to reside in the UK.

Once this has been proved you should be entitled to Benefits and Healthcare on the NHS.

Maybe try to get a room with a friend and/or relative if you can't afford anything else and then they could write a letter on your behalf.

Here is a copy of the sort of thing you are asked about Habitual Residency: (the link is for Sunderland but I'm sure it's pretty much the same anywhere).

http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/Public/Editable/Themes/Online/eForm/counciltaxhousingbenefit-form-22-people-from-abroad.pdf

I have read somewhere, but cannot find the link now, that in practice returning British Citizens, although having to qualify under the Habitual Residency test like everyone else moving to the UK from abroad, are very rarely declined.

imhomewardbound

i have a little amount of money and transport at least for a small time do you think a b and b would suffice i also need to open a basic bank account in case i am lucky enough to find some work ,where might be the best place to start

seven-day-weekend

I believe both the Co-op Bank and Post Office do basic bank accounts but whether a B&B address would be acceptable I don't know I'm afraid.

Do you have enough money to rent privately for a while, even if only a room in a shared house, or lodgings, so that you can at least have some sort of tenancy agreement/contract and/or a rent book?

Oldernotwiser

I think it would be difficult to prove habitual residency from a B&B address; it would be too easy for people to pop back to th UK for a short while, claim benefits and then go back abroad.

imhomewardbound

thanks for the replies,
yes these are the problems i am facing if i can stay at a relatives or friends its still difficult to prove that my stay will be permanant its like a catch 22 i still have a little time to try and sort this out but i only really have the internet for communication here so trying to organise anything from this end is difficult does anyone think i could write to maybe the local council or somewhere explaining my circumstances,maybe this would help

imhomewardbound

I would have a little money to rent private for a while but they often want you to have a bank account first,maybe i could use a friends address for a while but i don,t really know if this is acceptable,sorry if i sound a little dim but i have never claimed benefits before or been in this position so the more information i have for when i get back the better.All the official websites i have looked on don,t seem to cover my situation but if i can cope for the first few weeks while i hopefully find some work the maybe things will be a little easier

Judith_W

I don't know whether Shelter may be able to help. I guess if you were willing you could get a place in a night shelter and use that address for stuff. They usually let you stay for a month and it is usually OK to use their address for benefits etc

imhomewardbound

Thanks Judith that maybe a solution don,t know if they have anywhere near my hometown but maybe a good place to start,one of my main problems is when i arrive i won,t have much in the way of communications so maybe i can get some information from here it would be great if i actually had somewhere to head for where i might find a little help,i want to be able to stand on my own two feet as soon as possible,but i am sure they might have people more desperate than me to deal with,I realize things are quite desperate in uk workwise but need to keep up my confedance to find a job.

seven-day-weekend

It certainly wouldn't do any harm to approach the Council and tell them your circumstances, but I would do it in person rather than write.


Also see a specialist Welfare Rights Advisor at the CAB (Citizens' Advice Bureau) who will be able to advise you further.

imhomewardbound

thank you for your advice so far its a good start ,its given me some stuff to follow up on