Lots of people emigrating?

[LawdAMercy]

In your social circle do you know lots of people who have/are in the process of emigrating?

Keep seeing articles about people feeling fed up with the state of the country, cost of living etc and moving abroad and wondering if this is really happening at scale or just hyperbole.

We have been looking to buy our first home (early forties, have kids) for a while and have been focused on this for so long but wondering if I need to re-assess our long terms needs.

DH is foreign, we could go to his country but I’ve never been sure with the language barrier, leaving family behind etc despite the high standard of living there. Can’t help but feel that everywhere has its problems and a mode could be out of the frying pan and into the fire.

People in the UK struggle. I don’t know what the answer is, but targeting middle-high earners is likely not a sustainable solution.

Realistically who else can they target? Lower and middle earners pay less tax her vs other countries. The problem is housing costs and an ageing population.

Affluent part of Scotland and I don’t know anyone leaving. Also know a lot of people in London and no one from our network there either. The richest people I know personally would never leave, they love their life in the English countryside, they would never move just to earn tax free etc.

Would you care to show your working about the £55K income for the job free?

Funnily enough we had friends staying recently and the husband is from a European country popular with British expats and tourists from all over the world. I asked if he would ever move from London and he said never!

I want to sign up for this!

I read it here, yesterday afternoon, in a thread I didn't comment on so I can't find it now. It wasn't a goady thread, and the poster's situation was rather a sad one, with disability and DC also with limited abilities. The figures were her own calculations, and with rent support, she calculated to to replace the benefits she received, she would need work paying about £60k.

Someone disabled who is renting with disabled dc will be entitled to a far amount of benefits & disabled benefits aren’t even means tested.

In my own social circle I don't know anyone who is in the process emigrating, and I am struggling to think of anyone I know who has done so in the past 5 years. Someone I knew slightly who was in her twenties got a job in Singapore, but I doubt she saw the move as permanent. I think it was more a case of taking the opportunity to see more of the world while young and single.

No one. I live in fairly affluent past of the South East and commute to London for work. However, I do think this is partly my age and stage - most people I know have tweens or teens and it’s not a great time to move even if you wanted to.
I lived abroad when my kids were little and wish I didn’t return though!

I’m in London and I don’t know any families who’ve emigrated.

I don't know if this is relevant since it was a while ago now but I moved abroad (Netherlands) for a long time. Positives were:

• I could get a job I wanted there. This was 2009 though so times were tough in the UK for new graduates.
• Quality of life. The Dutch tax more but I think spend more overall as well. There was an increasing divergence between the Netherlands and UK as austerity went on. Plus they had a culture of biking everywhere ets which I liked
• it's nice to travel and see new people/new experiences/learn new languages. In definitely glad I did

Cons:
-Some of the problems that exist in the UK exist everywhere. Eg the housing market is a big political problem there and Dutch people complain about the (excellent to me) health and transport services. So some things are better, but you can't outrun everything.

• cultural differences. They don't matter till they do.
• If you have children they will grow up as third culture kids. This absolutely doesn't have to be a bad thing. But basically they will have a different outlook and cultural references to you. It's weird to think that sometimes
• we moved out when our parents were in good health, but then very suddenly they weren't anymore and you have to deal with the guilt of not being there. I was lucky because NL is close to the UK but COVID was really difficult. I don't think I would have coped living further away like Australia

-Homesickness. Often very sudden and unexpected

• the same political issues around house prices going up exist in most places BUT be aware that as an immigrant, you might be seen as part of the problem. Noone was directly hostile. But it's still awkward when all the talk is of how the country is too full for incomers, and how immigrants are driving house prices up/buying all the houses. Especially when you just bought a house.

I'm not part of the super rich though. Maybe they find it easier to uproot themselves.

No and it has not come up in conversation either though the state of the country and indeed the world is often spoken about. Worried for the upcoming generation but more due to climate change than the parlous mess that is the UK and the wreck that the States has become

Hardly evidence, as posters don't have to be genuine or telling the truth.

Wow, so many will be envying the disabled, wishing it for themselves and their children.

Yes, we are the only ones left of our circle of friends. All came here 25 plus years ago. Six families and we hope to move later this year once kids are in universities abroad. Too expensive, does not feel safe and of course the taxes are too high and we do not feel we get much back.

Two couples both HNW gone to Dubai.
Another medical professional couple emigrated over to Canada.
Another professional couple moving back to EU county they are from.
Hearing noises about more to follow . Not great for UK tax take in all cases.
Also business owners talking about offshoring their companies where possible.

@echt, no envy on my part, and I don't begrudge paying tax to give a family in that situation the help they need to have a decent life.