Seriously thinking about leaving the UK

[Tanyasfootspa]

I’m not sure when the turning point was, but DH and I have hit a wall. The DC are both at university now, and for the first time in a long time, we’re thinking seriously about leaving the UK. The only thing stopping us is wanting to be close to potential future grandchildren.

It just doesn’t feel like the same country anymore. Everything seems to be falling apart — the NHS, education, transport, basic services — and yet at the same time, there’s this growing mindset that the government should step in and fix every personal problem. I’m all for supporting people who genuinely need help, but it’s frustrating seeing how much personal responsibility has gone out the window. It feels like no one’s expected to stand on their own two feet anymore.

We’ve worked hard our whole lives, paid our taxes, and honestly, it feels like we’re constantly penalised for it. Meanwhile, the cost of living is insane, our quality of life is slipping, and every time we turn on the news, it’s just more chaos or excuses.

We’ve started looking at options — maybe Canada, or somewhere in Europe (though Brexit makes that harder). We don’t expect a perfect life anywhere, but we want to live somewhere that still feels like it’s moving forward, not falling apart.

Has anyone else made the move once the kids were grown up? Did it help? Are we just burned out, or is this how others are feeling too?

Would really love to hear your honest experiences.

Leave and then come back on a boat and live the life of luxury in a hotel with free meals and be waited on hand and foot.

🙋🏻‍♀️ I moved from England to Canada after brexit (was a coincidence, not because of Brexit, just giving an idea of timing).
while I agree UK has gone downhill in the past 10 or so yrs (still spend a fair bit of time in UK too), I’d say standard of living in Canada is worse:

• very expensive - property, day to day living etc. Average pay and cost of things make no sense - pay is low, cost is high
• healthcare is also so so with the added disadvantage of no private options. In England at least if you want to pay and get seen, you have that option.
• It’s COLD most of the year
• taxes in many instances are higher than UK

I’d try figure out something in Europe if I were you

I can't understand this mindset - you've been incredibly fortunate to be living in a developed country - with all the benefits of the UK and appear to have done well. You could just as easily be born in a war torn country facing extreme poverty.
And now after all your advantages, things are a bit 'tough' (too many taxes?) so you figure you deserve even more. If the UK is going downhill so badly why don't you stay and fight for the country that's given you so much - become politically active say - rather than taking of to another country to sit around giving even less.

@Tryonemoretime that’s interesting. I wondered what happens when good healthcare is accessed through a job. It must take a lot of choices away where work is concerned and we all have to stop sometime

Mexico’s a surprise. I recently watched a youtube channel on the Ten most dangerous cities in the world and nine of them were in Mexico 😮

I can’t tell you if you’re joking or not. I have worked with asylum seekers who stay in these kind of ‘hotels’ and luxury they are most definitely not. I could elaborate in detail but I expect you won’t change your view.

It makes me laugh that people think these hotels are actually functioning as hotels, and asylum seekers get room service, meals, laundry etc.

the one in Wakefield that hit the news recently everyone assumed the asylum seekers were running a restaurant from the hotel’s kitchen. The media of course carefully skewed the narrative to make it seem that way.

turned out the hotel kitchen, which is not in use as the hotel is not serving meals to it’s clientele, what with it not being a hotel, was being sublet to two businesses. Nothing to do with the asylum seekers living there.

As far as I'm aware the UK also has a massive housing crisis and a soaring cost of living, and I've just seen Australia on a list of best places to live to avoid climate change. The weather itself would sell me on Australia over the UK, along with the fact that Australians are more upbeat.

You are correct. UK has not hit rock bottom but descending quickly.

Are you working? Can you get a transfer out?

There’s no reason to stay in place here crime increasing, tax increasing, gov feeble and country becoming lawless & full of non-workers.

I get it. If they want to go they can go. Theoretically if a country lets you in it’s a new adventure.

Oh give over! 😆

What island was that?

287 posts and no reply from op

Speak for yourself about the US.

eqpi4t2hbsnktd · Yesterday 09:48
The UK. I live in East London. We have Sharia law in some parts round here already. The schools close for Eid etc.. there are literally no British shops on the high street...
Before you say "move" I was born here.
...
You say 'some parts', that means not all of East London. There are plenty of parts of East London that are more culturally mixed, quite smart and popular now too. I wouldn't mind living there.

🤣🤣

I wondered too !

I disagree with this, I think it's a Western Country issue, not a global one. If you have money, I'd look to a developing country many of them are becoming far superior (they are only a shit place to live if you are poor)

The right wing media have been quite positive about Wes Streeting. They are also right to be alarmed about the parlous state of the public finances.

Canadian here and I live in UK. Petrol is cheaper there, but apart from that Canada is very expensive, similar healthcare problems (on its knees), food cost is through the roof. Add in mosquitos and . . .

What about Portugal? Google D7 Visa.

I also think that parts of the public sector work force are just not very good at their jobs. Look at all the major scandals - post office, infected blood, HS2, maternity care, met police, grooming gangs, cladding, water companies, student finance fraud… all in part caused by poor leadership, management and delivery in public sector organisations.

Just go.

Would it be an option to grey nomad it for a few months of the year. Home always seems better when you have been away from it for a while. This is a good way to test the waters.

Visas are much easier too.

Edited to add: I moved from the UK to Australia 18 years ago and have never regretted it. My perspective might be skewed as I love it here - I can't imagine permanently moving countries and starting again.

As others have said, be mindful that the grass isn't always greener.
I've lived in the south of England, southern US, southern Spain, and the south of France - multiple locations in each. I've also travelled a fair amount. Each country and county (or equivalent) has it's pros and cons.
In my experience, a number of European countries have just as many issues as the UK, if not more. It's just we don't necessarily have all of the exact same problems. And a decline in society is widespread, even in parts of Canada.
The best thing to do is research places of interest. Make sure your research includes the legal and banking systems (take the south of Spain as a learning point - property taken off you, property demolished, finances frozen etc). Then rent an Airbnb in your area of interest for 6-12 months. This is a reasonable amount of time to decide if you really like the place. If you're able to rent somewhere for 6 months with an option to extend for a further 6, that would give you an opportunity to move on if you decided fairly early on it's not for you, but also give you the option of experiencing every season if you did like it. This is important to appreciate changes in climate, sunshine hours, rainfall etc. And also to experience high and low season if you go somewhere that tourists frequent.
If you then decide you want to commit to moving overseas, my advice is either rent your house out and/or buy a smaller place you can return to. Because if you want to return for family or health reasons (often the case), the process won't be super stressful.
Anyway, I'd say don't let any comments put you off taking the plunge. Just make sure you do it with your eyes wide open without completely compromising your future financial stability.
You never know, you may leave but later return with a more positive viewpoint on the UK. That's what happened to me.

I have worked with a lot of ‘asylum seekers’ and 99% of them are economic migrants

I quite like Streeting