Living in England or Scotland?

whitejohn

I'm looking for a small property just outside The Lake District in Cumbria but it's obviously very popular and expensive.

Houses look slightly cheaper over the border in Scotland which is still quite scenic and rural. Don't mind a bit of extra driving to get a better value home.

Assuming they will accept me! main question is:

Are there any significant financial advantages or disadvantages for a retired male 66, no family, very small savings once I have bought a house, living on state pension. Very fit but being realistic, will need care at some point.

baldelectrician

Remember there is free personal care in Scotland so your income wont count
If you are a stargazer then Dumfries and Galloway has some of the clearest skys in the UK
Also in Scotland your water rates are included in your council tax- no water meters

TartanSaver

baldelectrician wrote: »

Remember there is free personal care in Scotland so your income wont count

If you actually go into a care home, the rent is still very high, and you may well still have to sell your home to pay for it.

All buses in Scotland will be free to you, but only buses to Carlisle and Berwick-upon-tweed are free cross border.

You've suggested you'll be on a low income - if your savings are below £16,000, you might be entitled to some Council Tax Reduction. Many councils in England have cut it for people getting partial relief. Eg, people getting 10% relief might get 0, people getting 20% might get 10%. This has not happened in Scotland.

whitejohn

baldelectrician wrote: »

Remember there is free personal care in Scotland so your income wont count
If you are a stargazer then Dumfries and Galloway has some of the clearest skys in the UK
Also in Scotland your water rates are included in your council tax- no water meters

Thanks I'm definitely a stargazer and hoping there will be more chance of finding a semi-rural property in Scotland so my main reason for moving. The next would be quality of care and access to good specialist NHS hospitals if needed.

Can you choose any NHS hospital in the UK or do you have to choose between England and Scotland?

Is there a qualifying period for receiving any benefits or treatment?

whitejohn

TartanSaver wrote: »

If you actually go into a care home, the rent is still very high, and you may well still have to sell your home to pay for it.

All buses in Scotland will be free to you, but only buses to Carlisle and Berwick-upon-tweed are free cross border.

You've suggested you'll be on a low income - if your savings are below £16,000, you might be entitled to some Council Tax Reduction. Many councils in England have cut it for people getting partial relief. Eg, people getting 10% relief might get 0, people getting 20% might get 10%. This has not happened in Scotland.

Thanks, that leaves my slightly confused about the actual costs of care. If I had to sell my house that may not be the end of the world for me as I have no family. My main concern is quality of care home really, especially when the money runs out. Someone mentioned in a previous post that from next year I would be able to keep about £36K after selling my home for care. I wonder if that just applies in England or is there a similar safeguard in Scotland?
Never thought about the bus passes being different.

Cuilean

As someone who's moved from Scotland to England with a long term medical condition, I would choose Scotland for healthcare. Most of the advantages have already been covered here. Has anyone mentioned free prescriptions in Scotland? Bit of a shock when I moved to England and paid £8+ per item.

I found NHS Scotland less busy than NHS England, and GP referrals to hospital were faster. When I was in hospital, there seemed to be more staff per patient than when I had the equivalent treatment in England. There were no fees for patient parking in the hospitals I attended either. I do accept I may just have been lucky with my treatment, and that there are people who have had a terrible experience, but I can only comment on what I know.

As for benefits, I was unfortunate enough to be out of work for a few months, and had no trouble at all when "signing on" at my local job centre. As long as you have a National Insurance number, it seems to be the same in England and Scotland.

I'd move back there in a heartbeat if it wasn't for the staunchly English husband.

whitejohn

Cuilean wrote: »

As someone who's moved from Scotland to England with a long term medical condition, I would choose Scotland for healthcare. Most of the advantages have already been covered here. Has anyone mentioned free prescriptions in Scotland? Bit of a shock when I moved to England and paid £8+ per item.

I found NHS Scotland less busy than NHS England, and GP referrals to hospital were faster. When I was in hospital, there seemed to be more staff per patient than when I had the equivalent treatment in England. There were no fees for patient parking in the hospitals I attended either. I do accept I may just have been lucky with my treatment, and that there are people who have had a terrible experience, but I can only comment on what I know.

As for benefits, I was unfortunate enough to be out of work for a few months, and had no trouble at all when "signing on" at my local job centre. As long as you have a National Insurance number, it seems to be the same in England and Scotland.

I'd move back there in a heartbeat if it wasn't for the staunchly English husband.

Thanks that's nice to know that the NHS care is just as good and potentially better. My prescriptions are free but think it's because I'm over 65.

baldelectrician

Cuilean wrote: »

I'd move back there in a heartbeat if it wasn't for the staunchly English husband.

You know what you have to do :rotfl: