To think life in England must be much easier

[Heatethelastwaffle]

I’m British but live abroad.
We are struggling a lot financially at the moment, life is hard, although the sun shines.
Where we are, if you fall into a hole, you’re pretty much screwed. Benefits exist, but you have to be very much on the breadline and even then it’s not enough to survive. There is a national health service, but it’s not great, so I’m having to pay out of my own money for private consultations. I have a chronic illness but no benefits whatsoever exist, my Dd is potentially suffering from Pans/pandas, they haven’t heard of it where we are, I’ve been to three separate Drs who had no idea what I’m talking about, There’s no help with rent, with housing, with bills and so on if you fall on hard times.

I want to go home, it may be depressing in some ways in England but you’re secure.

Would you even be British if you didn't complain? I grew up abroad and I can tell you, all the expats complain about things like this at times. As pp said, it's difficult for somebody to understand if they haven't experienced living abroad. My parents lost their business in the 2008 recession, we had to leave our entire lives there and come back to the UK. There were no safety nets to utilise to sustain the family like those that exist in the UK if anything goes wrong, so it is an important thing to consider, especially with health issues involved.

Saying that, OP, I wouldn't come back if you didn't have to. I'd give anything to go back abroad, however it's not as easy for me now to go back. If you're financially secure there atm, I wouldn't choose to come back unless circumstances change, although I'm not clued up on Pans/panda.

There's always been the Habitual Residence Test. At least since the 90s.

My DC is receiving excellent NHS care for PANS. I’m guessing it depends where you are in the UK based on PP’s comments.

@TheGirlattheBack Where are you please? We’d be moving to Cornwall

@SavageTomato Whats that please?

no, it is a relative measure. It is 1/3 of kids who are in households in the bottom third of income

Where are you now OP? It is heard to say without knowing where you are right now. But I was 4 months without any income in the UK last year, having gone of sick from work. Not because I wasn't entitled to benefits, but because that is how long it took a new claim to be processed.

I live in Cornwall. Are you aware of current house and rental prices? It's absurd

I would join a facebook group about PANDA where most people live in the UK and ask them where it is best to live in the UK for good treatment. In terms of GPs there are wide variations. I can usually see my GP the same day, some areas there simply are not en0ough GPs. And you need to avoid the NHS GP practices that have been taken over by US conglomerates, they are always shit. You want an independent GP practice.

Neither would I. Nothing is perfect, there are ups and downs, but it is OK here. I feel secure.

@genesis92 I know…but Its where family is now

I wondered that too.

OP, please tell us where you are now.

Presumably you moved abroad for sound reasons and moving back would be a big upheaval. If you move back based on your fear of what might or might not happen in the future, that's unreasonable IMO. I think you are consumed with worry and need to think calmly and rationally about how you can make a go of things where you are before making a rash decision, and perhaps look into how you can access private medical care. As a PP said, housing costs in Cornwall (and many other parts of the UK) are very high and you might end up worse off. Is it perhaps the support of your family in the UK that you are missing? Could you arrange a trip back? Spending some time here might help you to work out whether you really do want to move back.

Isn't the 30% relative poverty, absolute is lower 18% before housing, 25% after

https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/child-poverty-statistics-causes-and-the-uks-policy-response/#heading-2

Do you really think life in England is great? The NHS is broken due to years of underfunding. GP appointments are hard to get. Benefits do exist but they aren't enough to live on. Most young people can't move out due to expensive rent. So many children are living in poverty.
Of course you can come back but I think you'll be disappointed.

Getting a diagnosis of PANDAS is hard. Once you've got it there is support - but you would be waiting a long time and have to jump through many hoops to get that diagnosis

I am so sick of people like you. How many years have you not lived here? Why do you expect to come back and get help for your child when people that have paid into the system are waiting months for treatment.

Stay where you are and figure it out.

Where have you moved to?

Incorrect

If you’re a British citizen you have the right to use the nhs.
If you’ve been abroad for a while and come back you can claim all benefits as long as you can show that you are ‘habitually resident’ ie have been back for 1/3 months.

Apologies for @bert3400

@TheYearOfSmallThings

You can 'just move back' it only gets more complicated if the other country doesn't allow you to have dual citizenship & you've chosen to give up your British citizenship.

Im not sure the rules on NHS/benefits etc as I've never had to try to get them and I've been back paying tax/NI for 20 years now.

No, just that more than half of the population here are taking more form the system than paying in.

So not everyone is on benefits but the amount of freebies given out has never been higher.

And yet people want more.

Tell me, where are you finding all of these ex-pats who are about to return to the United Kingdom? I mean there must be an absolute shitload of them for you to be this angry about it, right? You're clearly distressed about the tens of thousands of British citizens returning to Great Britain to steal your job universal credit, but how come you're the only person in the Kingdom who's aware of this travesty?

I don’t get it either; English national but not citizen? What does that mean? She has no passport?

Where are you OP?

I have some from in London who live in social house, get some support, they also have jobs, they have to be careful with money but I don’t see them struggling, they dress well, go out, have food, health and education for the children.

I also live in London but don’t need benefits, but use state education and health; buy pay quite a bit of taxes towards it. Things have changed a lot in the last 20 years but it is still better than other countries.

I come from a country where social benefits are practically non existent and healthcare is only for people with jobs; there is a social healthcare system but is terrible.