how can i come home

seven-day-weekend

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

Oldernotwiser

Depending on your area in the UK you should find that you can have cheap, or even free, internet access through your local library. There is a very useful site, www.direct.go.uk where you can get information about benefits as well as look for jobs that are on offer through the JCP.

What is the situation with your property abroad? It would be benficial if you could show that it's up for sale if you want to claim means tested benefits.

imhomewardbound

its a half finished shell at the moment so i am having to rent or stay with friends i want to put it up for sale but at the moment its pretty much unsellable apart from the land value,tring to sort out legal action against the builder at the moment but looks like i,ll be throwing good money after bad and i have,nt got much to throw anyway,looks like i may lose the lot but maybe i could get lucky in a few years if things pick up,at the moment its pretty much anyones guess what will happen with economics as they are

MarsdenCuckoo

imhomewardbound wrote: »

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

If you have a friend you can stay with for a while and they're happy to visit their bank with you confirming that you are staying with them, albeit temporarily until you get yourself sorted i.e. being a returning ex-Pat, then chances are that said bank/building society will accept your friend's introduction as a reference and you'll be able to open a bank account with them.

Not sure re. available benefits but gather there are two types of Job Seekers Allowance - one based on your own National Insurance contributions paid within UK/Europe (written proof is required if the latter) in the last two years; second one based on your household income. Entitlement is confirmed at personal interview, which is usually arranged within a few days of you ringing the Job Centre.

Good luck.

Christine

thorsoak

I thought that if you registered with the Job centre, that address could be used for benefits? Or have I misunderstood the situation?

ManchegoMan

Im in a similar situation as InHomewardBound in that I've failed to make a life for myself abroad and have to return to the uk and get a job. I don't own a home so I will have to rent somewhere for me and my family. Question is - Although I can afford to rent up to 800 per month for the next year or two from my savings - would this affect what I can claim as rent relief from housing benefit? The average rent for a 3 bed property in my area when I was renting in July 07 was around £800 pcm so I don't see that I have much choice.

Our joint savings total more than 16k. Will this affect what I can claim or not? I have debts abroad to pay off - is it better to offload those debts with my savings so as to reduce the figure in the hope that it staves off any reduction in benefit entitlement or should I hang on to what savings I've got for now?

seven-day-weekend

You will not get any means-tested Benefits if you have over £16k in savings. Between £6k and £16k Benefits are reduced on a sliding scale.

And be careful....paying off debts can be seen as Deliberate Deprivation of Capital and you still won't get any Benefits.

If however you use some of your money to pay for essential things like a deposit/rent for a house, or a modest car, or reasonably priced furniture, then it should not be classed as deliberate deprivation, and if your savings fall below £16k you may be entitled to some Benefits, based on your income/capital.

You will first of all have to pass the Habitual Residency Test as detailed above.

skintlady34

Hi.
I came back from europe, i had no where to live but used a friends address which the job centre was fine with, once that was sorted out it was much easier to sort everything else out and we are now renting a lovely place. hope everything works out for you.