To not come back to the UK?

[Abcdeisarealname]

DH and I left the UK mid December to visit relatives in a non corridor country. The situation in the UK has deteriorated significantly since we left. We are due back at the end of next week, and will have to isolate. I predict all schools will shut before too long. DH was wfh anyway and I’m between jobs. Kids are primary school age and at an indie, so we wouldn’t loose their school places. Country we are in has a very low infection rate and aside from mask wearing life is pretty normal. Should we just stay for a few months?
YABU= come home YANBU=stay

@Wallywobbles

Brexit shouldn't have any impact as Africa isn't in the EU yet.

I would feel safer in the UK than Africa even with the current covid rates. I wouldn’t want to leave my house unattended for months on end. Although I suppose it depends where you live in the uk.

@TheTeenageYears thanks for a really helpful post with some details (car at airport) that we hadn’t thought of. Really not trying to outrun the virus, but potentially have the opportunity to have 3 months of normal life, while the UK sorts itself out. It wouldn’t be outwith the realms of possibilities to stay permanently, but that really isn’t the long term plan.

@LunaLula83 where did you escape to?

Honestly, I woulld take the opportunity to stay where you are and have a wonderful extended adventure. Particularly if all the logisitcs like school and work etc can be relatively easily sorted!

Enjoy. :)

House insurance in the UK needs looking at,

This is a really good point, when you get house insurance they always ask.If the house will be empty for more than 30 days

@sofato5miles

Slightly different sitch here, i live overseas and my daughter is home from an UK boarding school. We are keeping her here for at least a month more until the UK looks like it has it under control. Her school has a great online learning set up, so it is easy.

Friend have just done the same. Kids came back from UK boarding at Xmas and they’re keeping them until at least February.

Check out immigration rules - do your visas allow you to stay and your DH to work?

Check out both personal and corporate tax and social security rules too. Your DH’s employer should do the same.

And health insurance of course too.

I would probably do it but would want to make sure it was all legit and not going to cause bigger problems later.

@DramaAlpaca

If you feel safer where you are, stay put.

Nothing would drag me back home to the UK at the moment.

Exactly. You do what is right for you right now. Just don't write us off completely, things will change here eventually and be good again.

Are you rev

Sorry!

Are you in receipt of any benefits? That will need looking at. You can’t have UC while out of the country.

I've lived on the continent you're now on - big place obviously but it's not one overflowing with intensive cares or governments that are necessarily great at reporting (if accurately gathered) information about public health.

So, life might be normal where you are, but is that because lockdowns have worked and there's no virus and people are tested and quarantined upon arrival to the country (were you?) - and does that go for land borders too? Or is that because the government is carrying on as if corona isn't there? Basically, everything may be fine there now but what are the chances of it remaining so? And if the situation changes for the worse, a) what medical care is available? b) will your insurance cover you there if one of you gets Covid and needs to be in the ICU?

I am not a Covid worrier - if you get it it's unlikely you'd end up in ICU. But the decision you're making is one where if everything is fine, it's a good decision, but what if everything isn't? That's the question I'd want answering before things like airport car parking (which is a factor too).

I'm not sure if you're in the country visiting relatives or friends or just on holiday. But staying in a country on holiday is very different than interacting with government/hospitals at a time of crisis. You know the NHS and how it works. What do you know about navigating yourself around the medical system in the country you're in? And if you don't, is there someone who can help you in the situation where, presumably you'd need to be quarantining if one of you was in hospital?

I'd be surprised if places in Africa didn't start to catch up with Europe and the UK as far as infections are concerned, especially as the weather starts to turn colder.

There's also a new variant in Africa.

Whereabouts in Africa are you? SA, for instance, is really getting hit atm.

@grenadines

I would feel safer in the UK than Africa even with the current covid rates. I wouldn’t want to leave my house unattended for months on end. Although I suppose it depends where you live in the uk.

Why? I mean Somalia maybe. But there are lovely safe places in Africa.

Frankly I'm jealous and hope it's Uganda.

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

Sorry!

Are you in receipt of any benefits? That will need looking at. You can’t have UC while out of the country.

With 2 kids in private school. I doubt it!

Where abouts in Africa are you? Have you checked their lockdown laws? I have friends in South Africa. It was horrendous for them.

True.

OP is obviously not in South Africa, they are having a huge problem and strict lockdown rules. She would be well aware.

There’s been reporting about how well Ghana and Senegal have been doing so it depends which country.

It doesn't feel good in the UK right now, and if you're already in another country with relatives to stay with and wfh, I'd stay. I really would.
What is happening here is really alarming and if I had a family now (mine are all grown up) I certainly wouldn't be returning if I could stay somewhere safer.

Check your husband can WFH in a different country. My partner works for a bank but can only do that job whilst in the UK due to different securities etc in another country.

You're so lucky!!

Stay away!

Stay where you are. The kids school will likely do online lessons for at least the first few weeks and will have to make provision for kids who are shielding etc. Get in touch with the school to ask about remote learning opportunities.

I'm also planning my escape route for three months or so. Have lived in Africa (won't say where exactly as it's outing) for many years and so plan to go back there. I'd definitely stay where you are if I were you.

Things to get in place:

• check your home insurance and maybe ask someone to pop round every couple of weeks to check your place hasn't burnt down
• Travel insurance (most policies only cover up to 30 day stays so double check that)
• Many countries require a business visa even just for WFH so double check that. I was told sending even one email counts as "working in the country" so would require a business visa
• Make sure your health insurance is decent just in case. Many UK travel insurance policies only cover "state health care"
• enjoy!

[quote Abcdeisarealname]@SnowGnome Africa
@Monty27 we need to give a terms notice so are liable for school fees anyway.[/quote]
Yes I kind of thought that plus the schools won't be going back any time soon
I hope you're all enjoying the change of scenery
There's nothing to be homesick for here nobody can go anywhere or see anyone more now than before
The virus is raging and it's hard to believe a word the politicians are saying, nor the media for that matter so many people are living in fear and many people have passed away whether due to covid or not
I'm wondering if the new strain will be called covid-20

What@TheTeenageYears said. Lots of practical stuff to consider.