To want to move back to UK from France ?

[user1467128888]

Hi all
Am I being unreasonable to want to move back to the UK after 12 years of living in France ? We've got 3 children aged 10, 8 & 5. They were born here (Normandy) and are completely bilingual. My reasons are :

• husband (plumber) has transferable skills
  
• the kids are not yet at secondary school age (1 year to go for eldest)
  
• we're worried about long-term issues eg cost of healthcare, employability of kids etc.
  We've worked hard on doing up our house here, but even if we can sell it, we'd only have approx. 80k.
  It feels like 'now or never' for us.
  We haven't paid UK tax or NI since 2004.
  Would we get child benefit ?
  Where would we stand re. housing ?
  If I could get work eg caring, teaching assistant etc., would I need to document where I've lived as a record so I can get a CRB ? This could be a nightmare with paperwork here
  
  Thanks in advance for any advice / experiences. My mind's been all over the place since last Friday, we never expected the Brexit result

[CodyKing]

Are you both UK born?

Can you rent? Where are you looking to move back too?

[icanteven]

What is wrong with staying there long term? I know it's hard to say yet if Brexit will affect your residency status, but it probably won't. It's nice that your children are growing up bilingual, and Normandy, from the little I have seen of it, seems like a beautiful place to grow up.

Are you currently economically comfortable? If you are, I am not convinced that living in the UK on a plumber + carer/TA wage (the latter two being notoriously badly paid and exploited in general) will be a desirable improvement for you.

I could see your point if you were living on a small island that had seemed idyllic 10 years ago, but Normandy is pretty well connected, and personally, I have been considering if we should think about moving back to France (Paris)!

[user1467128888]

Yes, we are both UK born (Midlands).

We'd have to rent because I can't realistically imagine this house selling in the present climate, and husband would prob have to do contract work, so we couldn't get a mortgage at first.

Would we be able to get council or social housing ?

[MabelSideswipe]

Given how hard it was for the owner of our holiday rental to find a plumber when we were on holiday in Normandy and the boiler broke....I would say stay!

[JustCallMeDory]

Not sure why now? Is it because of schools and wanting to move before your child starts secondary? Or because the rate of exchange might be favourable for a while coming from France to UK?

I'm not being off, just trying to understand your main reason as it seems an odd time to want to move back to the UK when the future of this country is so uncertain.

We moved back to the UK after a 4 year stint in Europe. We still had property here which had been rented out, but even so it took about 6 months to build up our credit rating here again.

[user1467128888]

We're OK here for the moment financially, but my work is not reliable & fuel is very expensive in winter. No rent to pay here but worried that the longer we stay the more difficult it would be to get back to UK

[Branleuse]

you wouldnt be able to get social housing if you already have a house

[Branleuse]

I would honestly wait and see how it goes with brexit. Loads of us here are thinking abut how to get out of britain as the shitstorm has barely even started. Youre probably better where you are and your children will have more security in france

[user1467128888]

I get the 'exploited' thing about TA work ... But that & caring are my only options. What documents would I need to get a CRB check ?

[JustCallMeDory]

Agree with the pp - for me, now wouldn't be the time to be taking such a big step. Maybe wait a 6 months and see how things are starting to shape up?

[user1467128888]

Are there school places or is it really hard to get in now ? We're looking at North Midlands/South Yorkshire

[OSETmum]

Do you have qualifications for TA/ care work? Most now require at least a level 2 qualification in the relevant area.

[Stripyhoglets]

No you wouldn't get HB, CB, child tax credits or social housing or homeless support as you are not habitually resident in the UK. The UK is about to go into recession so I'd be very wary if trying to move back at this point in time.

[user1467128888]

Thanks everyone, I understand what you're saying. It seems too late for us, w just can't afford it.

Everything's different now. I've got no qualifications apart from my GCSEs.

[icanteven]

I really think that moving back here now, of all times, is not a wise move. If you want to start preparing for a move back to the UK, then by all means do so - start working on your qualifications, for example.

You must be aware that you can do a degree in France for next to nothing, and then you wouldn't be coming back here facing such grim prospects in caring or fierce competition + low pay as a TA.

Leaving your home and jobs in France, to come back here with no qualifications, in the expectation of council housing and low paid work just doesn't seem rational.

[user1467128888]

I know it's not rational, but we feel that if we don't take the plunge now, we'll never be able to.

Thanks for your answers, I feel quite isolated here, things get out of perspective. We always thought we could come back if we wanted to, but you're right we can't take the risk now.

[Branleuse]

Have you thought about moving to somewhere else in france, somewhere with a bigger expat community or more lively, and see if you feel less isolated then

[user1467128888]

Husband really wants us to get back to UK, but I don't think we can afford it or risk it, Branleuse

[SquinkiesRule]

If you are determined to move back, I would put the house on the market and sit and wait for a while see if it sells, you never know. That will give you money to come back with. In the meantime, get some qualifications of some sort wile there.
You don't need anything but experience to become a Healthcare assistant. I know a few who have now got full time contracts with the NHS and no education in that field. One was an NNEB in a day nursery and the other had worked in manufacturing, but wanted to change.
Make a list and a plan, don't just panic and move.
If your Dh still has old friends and contacts in the plumbing works maybe he can try those for a hand to get back into it in the UK.
I hadn't lived in UK for many years when I went back to work for the NHS, I put my foreign address on the DBS and it still only took 8 weeks to come back, so it wasn't any longer than the other people who were applying.

[user1467128888]

That's good to know Squinkiesrule, I wasn't sure I'd easily get a CRB

[Shouldwestayorshouldwegonow]

Stuff that op. The whole world is uncertain. Do what will make you happy. Overthinking just leads to paralysis and drift.

[CodyKing]

If you look on right move hey shoe a list of catchment schools per house and if they were over subcribed or not. Some in the sticks had places -

We live outside the UK and I really want to come back.

These things gave a way of falling into place.

One step at a time.

[user1467128888]

Thanks CodyKing.

[SaturdaySurprise]

Re benefits, you would probably be hit by the Habitual Residence Test for the first few months. This also applies to UK citizens. You can look it up on gov.UK or citizensadvice.org.UK.