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.

The UK has many issues, however I don’t believe any country is without its problems. From a purely personal perspective I would be dead if I lived anywhere else. My health is appalling and (I am well aware how lucky I am) the treatment I have received from my GP/hospital/specialist(s) has/is outstanding. Only this year the NHS have saved my life at least twice. We could not afford the myriad of treatments/medications/procedures I have needed/still need. I am still struggling with physical and mental health issues and (again I know I’m lucky) the amount of support and the speed of treatments I am receiving makes me feel blessed to be English. We don’t have an extravagant lifestyle but also we don’t have the additional concern(s) about how to pay for my treatments/prescriptions. If I had my health then maybe my view would be different (or if I didn’t get such good care) but as it stands I am beyond grateful for my country.

Do you have a child or not

Untrue that you can't use the NHS. UK has many reciprocal health agreements.

I moved to the UK from Germany and I think Germany is a much nicer and safer (in terms of financial security) place to live. I'm only staying here until my daughter finishes her GCSEs. Then I'm moving (whether back to Germany or somewhere sunny remains to be seen).

The UK is miserable. The weather is awful, everything is insanely expensive, medical care leaves a lot to be desired, taxes are huge, the education system is terrible. There are much nicer places out there.

Probably not a great time to start a thread about coming to Britain and being propped up- given there are riots going on over this currently in most major towns!

@XelaM I watched the Euros. It was pissing it down in Germany every bloody match! Maybe you should go home!

Yes you're right. Any British citizen who resides in the UK can access the NHS.
@bert3400 @ContactNightmare do you think we you phone 111 or rock up at a and e they ask how long you've been in the UK and if you've ever been abroad and did you make ni contributions before leaving, if so, for how long etc.
No you can register at your gp practice with your proof of address and passport. Easy.

Come home then? You just have known all this when you decided to live there. Situations change, if you now need government support, move home.

Is this thread just another to stir up anti-immigrant shite, even though the OP is not an immigrant? It's a potent angle, as evidenced by some deeply unpleasant posts.

Britain is not a rose garden utopia.

@Gillypie23 you don't know that the op hasn't paid into the Briths system for years before she moved abroad.

As an immigrant, life isn't easy here.

And I say that as someone who managed to buy her flat in London 3 years after moving to the uk (excluding my time as a uni student).

Many immigrants I know find it hard. Lots of motivators for moving here including professional opportunity, following family and in my case, my dh is british. But those things don't insulate you from the realities of life which are exacerbated by cost of rent when you are a new immigrant (you cannot bunk at your parents house if you need to, ppreciate many locals can't either but many locals are more likely to own a home or have a partner who does have family support/their own home).. one of my colleagues is sharing a 3 bed terraced with 7 other people while another girl in the same job has the same kind of house all to herself and her dh . I guess I am similar as my DH is british, i only managed to buy without indefinite leave to remain as he was also on the mortgage.

I stick it out here because it's my home and has been my home since I was at university. I am also slightly more insulated from the housing crisis and this has knock on effects including on my disposable income as our mortgage is 18% of our take home pay and I can cover the mortgage on my salary which allows me to feel a bit more comfortable. It isn't the norm though.

I live in the uk but every school holiday my mum would ship me off to her home country to spend time with my relatives. I often cried with relief on the flight back home. I know this isn't what you're talking about but but I don't get on board with people who moan about the uk - for me, it's wonderful and I feel very lucky to be here, knowing what it's like to spend extended periods of time in another country.

I'm pleased to hear that you have had such great treatment, but why do you think you would be dead if you lived anywhere else? Lots of other countries have good health systems. Why do people in the UK think there is only the NHS or the US system?

I returned after over a decade overseas, and it has been a huge relief. There is a safety net, partly from the state and partly from family. We have had good experiences of state education and health care.

I worked and paid taxes before I moved overseas, and have worked and paid taxes since moving back, there is no reason to assume the OP is any different.

To be perfectly honest I have no idea about many countries health systems so just going by what I would have to pay if I needed to pay for all my NHS treatments/care etc. I am aware I am ignorant in that regard(other countries ) I am just making the point that we/I feel fortunate to have it in place.

Sweden.

Relative of mine just back from Germany a week ago….temps between 29-32 every day…

Sorry to derail, but can I please ask when and why you moved back? I'm in Germany and wanting to get back to the UK, it's harder with my German husband because of Brexit.
I'm finding it very hard to make friends here and feel lonely. Moving back to be near family and friends is my main motivation. The safer and cleaner aspect is why I'm reluctant to leave. .

The NHS is completely broken after 14 years of mismanagement and things are especially bad in rural places like Cornwall. If you want to return to access very specific health treatment, it would be better to save and go private unfortunately. A friend has been on a waiting list for a year to access an ADHD appointment, another’s chemotherapy - so an actually urgent treatment - was delayed by months.

Except she doesn’t actually say this anywhere does she? The land of lack of reading comprehension. 🙄

I did say "move back to Germany OR somewhere sunny" 😅 although summers in the part of Germany where my parents live are usually very hot. I will definitely leave the UK but my daughter is in Year 10 so waiting for her to finish her GCSEs. Don't worry, my tax bill is absolutely huge and must help support a bunch of UK families on various benefits.

Take the rose tinted glasss off. The UK may be better than where you are living now but for those able to move there may be better places, Sweden is certainly worth considering. If you are misogynistic you might be happy in New Zealand or Canada. France, Finland, Belgium, Denmark and Italy are considered to have better benefit systems.

You are getting older - the Labour party has just removed heating payments not just from well off pensioners but from some of the poorest people in the country. Health care means waiting years for anything that wont immediately kill you and sometimes many hours in an ambulance or a corridor for things that will. Our health care system is broken, our roads are full of potholes, there are riots in the streets, if you are female the police wont protect you.

If you have a British passport you can come back. You'll need to look after yourself and your family or have a pretty miserable life here.

What rubbish - she’s either a British national (ie. has a British passport) or she’s not. If she has a British passport of course she can hop back on a plane whenever she wants.

If she doesn’t have the passport, or had to give it up in order to become a citizen of the new country, then obviously yes then it becomes more complicated, but surely she thought of this before denouncing her British citizenship?

For those interested in understanding PANS / PANDAS

https://panspandasuk.org/?fbclid=IwY2xjawEasDFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHU8fv39Fesp06uJPPPn-6CtCqXKoTn5IMLWl-Ewxnn-C17NsbAU0CYGHgQ_aem_5CoTXI8TkZJPk1LTZhzwKg