How does a 70 year old returning to uk support themself

[Tullyfan]

My widowed godmother's cousin wants to return to the UK having lived all her adult life in the USA having been born here. Both in their early seventies. The cousin intends to stay with my godmother who has plenty of room but is a little concerned about losing her single person's council tax etc if the sale turns out to be taking a long time. Feels that her cousin may be under-estimating the cost of living here and is worried about whether she will have any entitlements to doctors, nhs dentists,eye tests etc' or any benefits should she not be able to sell her house. What if she needed care etc should she fall seriously ill. Can anyone advise on what rights a uk citizen has in the uk if they have never paid national insurance or been domiciled here as an adult or is she entitled to the same state protection financially as an adult who has always lived here?

Apologies, this should be an AIBU to be concerned about GM

Is she a British citizen?

if so, then it is significantly simpler. If not much trickier.

British citizens moving back to the U.K. who intend to stay permanently can access the nhs.

i don’t know about benefits, sorry.

Here you go, this took me less than ten seconds to find on the government website:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/returning-to-the-uk

Yes, I believe she is still a British citizen having been born here. She married an American, currently long-term separated, no intention to divorce. I wouldn't imagine she would have given up British citizenship

I think you have to wait six months before accessing NHS care

She also needs to check US tax implications

Thank you. Am afraid I didn't know where to start. How kind of you

I know that if she worked in the USA, she would have paid into their state pension (social security) which she can claim while living outside the USA.

So she should have social security retirement income at least.

Editing to add, I see she has an American spouse- even if she didn’t work she would be entitled to claim social security spousal benefits as income in retirement.

At 70 she should already be getting a social security payment every month.

I don't believe she can take her American spouse. She'll need to earn enough to sponsor.
My MIL moved back to the UK from NZ when DH and I moved here. She's born in the UK and worked till her mid 20s and then spend the next 60 years in NZ. She was entitled to benefits here, including NHS, housing benefit, council tax credit, pension credits and state pensions immediately. She came here without anything except a couple of suitcases. She was widowed and had no one in NZ after FIL passed away.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-the-nhs-when-you-return-to-live-in-the-uk

NHS info

The cousin intends to stay with my godmother who has plenty of room but is a little concerned about losing her single person's council tax etc if the sale turns out to be taking a long time.

Who is concerned-the godmother?

What sale?

Did she pay any voluntary NICs into the UK state pension while living in the USA?

You can't claim a UK state pension if you haven't paid NI contributions to qualify for one.

There used to be some sort of reciprocal arrangement for pensions from NZ and Oz though if you came back to UK. I’m not sure if it still exists but it definitely used to. So the credits paid in one country could count in the other or something like that. My mum’s friend was British but worked all her adult life in NZ but came back just before she retired and got UK pension. But that was a long time ago.

You cannot qualify for the U.K. state pension if you don’t have qualifying years/contributions but there is also pension credit.

https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit

You can because NZ has a reciprocal agreement with the UK. MIL came back about 10 years ago.

I'm fairly sure there are more British pensioners in NZ then the other way round. So the UK has a good deal here.

See https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/living-and-working-overseas. Specially

• If you currently live in the UK, time spent living in Canada or New Zealand could be added to the qualifying years in your UK National Insurance record. Time spent living in Australia before 5 April 2001 can also be added.

Don't say something is not possible just because you don't know the details.

Apologies, I have ADHD and type too quickly and don't proofread very well! Cousin is meant to be selling the USA home, staying with GM whilst it sells and she looks to buy here. It's GM who is concerned that should it turn into a long stay she will have to lose her single person occupier council tax reduction. I will advise her to ring the local council.

If you have lived or worked in the UK for a minimum of 5 yrs, you can pay voluntary NICs from abroad towards a full state pension.

Not to GMs knowledge. Don't think she ever intended on returning to live here until marriage broke up.

Your godmother should think very carefully about allowing her cousin to live with her. If the cousin has lived in America her entire adult life she must not have any support network here. Aside from the legalities of what she will and won't be entitled to, your godmother could find herself taking on a lot.

I share your concerns. GM a lovely person and isn't used to having to think about benefits etc.

Yes, she needs to inform the council as soo as the cousin moves in (and the cousin should be funding the difference).

I think coming back and then selling the house is a risky thing for your godmother. It sounds extremely likely that she'd be stuck with her cousins. It's different if the cousin is going to rent first and was going to stay with your godmother for a very short period of time.

Why is cousin coming back to uk? Seems her only support is your godmother? She sounds like a leech already!

I think too that the NHS eligibility after moving back to the UK requires you to have ended your residence abroad - as in you don’t own a house.
She should sell the house in the USA first and then move back and be a cash buyer while staying with godmother.

I would advise her to speak to a solicitor for advice on beginning divorce proceedings.