Returning to the UK after 5 years, benefits?

want_to_save

why should you be eligible if you obviously have money you can transfer into the uk!

wilto

want_to_save wrote: »

why should you be eligible if you obviously have money you can transfer into the uk!

Yep I'll have about 5K GBP upon return to the UK, will need this to purchase a 7 seater vehicle, insurance and living for the first month or two while I secure employment.

JencParker

wilto wrote: »

Thanks for the responses guys.
We did not sever ties when we left the uk I.e. Kept bank accounts and credit cards open.
We have sold our house in the Us and before we leave we wil sell cars and pretty much every possession we have - I suppose I need to keep all documentation of major transactions.
I will want to keep my American bank account open as we will go back on holiday from time to time and to me it's easier to wire funds V cash and traveller checks.

Edit : one thing I totally forgot to mention - my wife is subject to immigration control consequently she cannot claim any benefits.

Don't know if you have already dealt with the immigration issue, but there may be problems with your wife coming here until you can prove your income.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/15/uk-immigration-policy-britons-spouses-trauma

wilto

JencParker wrote: »

Don't know if you have already dealt with the immigration issue, but there may be problems with your wife coming here until you can prove your income.

We know all about it unfortunately, but we have it 100% covered I think (hope)

Elvisia

When I came back here after living abroad (non EU) for 5 years they happily let me sign on for JSA, in fact I didn't want to sign on for benefits I was only trying to find out about how to pay NI contributions while I was searching for work and they said they'd get all the forms for me and I could sign on while I was searching. I had some money left abroad but that was to pay a final tax bill, and when I declared this money they didn't include it in my total savings. It's worth probably giving them a ring or popping down to your local JCP? I was very surprised as I had been paying into a different system abroad and I didn't expect I could get anything here. In terms of making people's blood boil, I had been working in the UK for 15 years, paid all my taxes, and was getting help from the system I helped support.

wilto

Elvisia wrote: »

When I came back here after living abroad (non EU) for 5 years they happily let me sign on for JSA, in fact I didn't want to sign on for benefits I was only trying to find out about how to pay NI contributions while I was searching for work and they said they'd get all the forms for me and I could sign on while I was searching. I had some money left abroad but that was to pay a final tax bill, and when I declared this money they didn't include it in my total savings. It's worth probably giving them a ring or popping down to your local JCP? I was very surprised as I had been paying into a different system abroad and I didn't expect I could get anything here. In terms of making people's blood boil, I had been working in the UK for 15 years, paid all my taxes, and was getting help from the system I helped support.

Thanks Elvisia for your post. We won't be back until the Summer but will visit JCP on my return.

Morlock

brewthebear wrote: »

Why should you think you can just come back and start getting any help is beyond me your as bad as everyone else who comes here scrounging Makes my blood boil.

You'll find plenty of semi-literate, anti-benefit ranters back here in the UK, wilto, welcome home.

Dunroamin

wilto wrote: »

We'll be coming back with less than 16k GBP..
After we pay all credit cards medical bills loans etc we may have 5k GBp left when we come back.

If you are using your capital to repay loans/credit cards etc you may well be treated as having deprived yourself of the capital and be assessed as if you still had the money.

BigAunty

Dunroamin wrote: »

If you are using your capital to repay loans/credit cards etc you may well be treated as having deprived yourself of the capital and be assessed as if you still had the money.

Deprivation of capital is a complex area but I always got the impression there was no issue with the payment of debts when legally due, just that the govt didn't want people to shovel their redundancy money into paying down their mortgage,then popping up to claim they were too poor to buy food or pay for household bills or (perhaps?) claiming to pay back a personal loan to a relative where there is no evidence that the loan took place or had a deadline attached.

Shelldean

Dunroamin wrote: »

If you are using your capital to repay loans/credit cards etc you may well be treated as having deprived yourself of the capital and be assessed as if you still had the money.

we used our capital to pay down our credit cards.
Our capital was in the form of OH redundancy money. We provided the council with copies of the credit card debts, we also showed the bank statements showing the money going in and out the same day.


Our housing benefit remained unchanged.