British Expats returning to UK in droves.....

Generali

blueboy43 wrote: »

Applies to those living in Australia, South Africa, NZ & Canada (the countries with the largest number of British pensioners).

It would not apply to those living in Spain.

I married an Australian in the late 90s. I knew there was a reason I was interested at the time.

Through an ex-pat group I am aware of a number of British pensioners going back.

StevieJ

Generali wrote: »

I married an Australian in the late 90s. I knew there was a reason I was interested at the time.

Through an ex-pat group I am aware of a number of British pensioners going back.

Not good news for NHS costs :eek: and pensions for that matter.

baileysbattlebus

Generali wrote: »

I wonder what proportion of returnees were pensioners. Trying to live on an income fixed in pounds right now can't be much fun if you live abroad.

Over the past 5 or so years the Aussie dollar v Sterling exchange rate means you'd lose 40% if you had a fixed UK income. I also believe that the UK Government won a case in about 2000 or thereabouts allowing them to stop paying index linked increases in pensions to people that move abroad.

I would imagine quite a number of returnees are pensioners - either from countries where the pension is frozen or from EU states where the value has fallen.

Most Commonwealth countries - plus a lot more have frozen pensions. Australia, New Zealand and Canada are the big 3.

The EU and countries with a reciprocal agreement (the US, Jamaica, Israel etc) get rises as here.

Here is a list of countries where the pension is frozen + EU countries where it is not and a list of reciprocal agreement countries

http://www.pension-parity-uk.com/pension-rights.htm#Are%20YOU%20frozen%20or%20are%20you%20not

There is a case in the EU courts at the moment fighting the freezing of UK pensions.

milla

I have a friend (and her husband ) living in Spain ...they are in their tenth year . While there they have built up a circle of 6 (couples ) friends ......... since Christmas all 6 couples are putting their homes up for sale (for various reasons ) in order to return to the U.K..

and yes ,they are all pensioners .

StevieJ

baileysbattlebus wrote: »

Here is a list of countries where the pension is frozen + EU countries where it is not and a list of reciprocal agreement countries

http://www.pension-parity-uk.com/pension-rights.htm#Are%20YOU%20frozen%20or%20are%20you%20not

There is a case in the EU courts at the moment fighting the freezing of UK pensions.

Looks like it will have to Barbados or Mauritius then

blueboy43

Generali wrote: »

I married an Australian in the late 90s. I knew there was a reason I was interested at the time.

Through an ex-pat group I am aware of a number of British pensioners going back.

The numbers must be pretty small though for economic reasons.

Surely most pensioners will have worked in Australia for a decent portion of their life.

Those that went to Australia at an older age almost certainly went on a 'Parent Visa' (which now costs up to about $35k) - once upon a time children used to look after their parents, it seems unlikely that they would be shunted off 13000 miles away just to get the full UK state pension.

It beats me, but plenty of people just cant settle / don't like living in Australia.

Generali

StevieJ wrote: »

Looks like it will have to Barbados or Mauritius then

Gotta be Barbados; they've got a Test ground.

I used to work with a Mauritian called Humphrey. He reckoned the place was dull as ditchwater to stay for more than 3 weeks. The first 21 days was great though.

blueboy43

baileysbattlebus wrote: »

There is a case in the EU courts at the moment fighting the freezing of UK pensions.

There is, but they have already lost once and are now appealing. I doubt if their chances are much good of winning.

Generali

blueboy43 wrote: »

The numbers must be pretty small though for economic reasons.

Surely most pensioners will have worked in Australia for a decent portion of their life.

You'd be surprised. I regularly meet couples who have moved to Aus in their 50s to retire - no idea whether their capital is in the home country or brought with them or (most likely I guess) a bit of both.

blueboy43 wrote: »

It beats me, but plenty of people just cant settle / don't like living in Australia.

Settling in a new place can be tough. In some ways it's double tough in Aus as because the locals speak English, British migrants expect Sydney to be some sort of sub-sub tropical Isle of Wight, Ventnor-on-Riviera if you like.

It ain't.

Australia's tough. We have Ocean not Sea. My Nephews were playing soccer and came to get me because there was a redback on the ball. The grass is all spiky and where the Brits have clover we have s0dding bindies(sp?).

StevieJ

Generali wrote: »

Gotta be Barbados; they've got a Test ground.

I used to work with a Mauritian called Humphrey. He reckoned the place was dull as ditchwater to stay for more than 3 weeks. The first 21 days was great though.

And horse racing, I think a few UK jockeys winter there, could make some useful contacts :beer: