1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

I've never had a passport, so I can't show any pages.

I live in the UK and have never left it in the past 17 years.

That is good for you, but for someone who lets say has renewed their passport in Vietnam or abroad and will have provided proof that they live abroad, that information is stored AND can be used in data sharing with UK agencies. the world is getting smaller. there is no escape in a digital age

2 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

simply grow a beard and feign "dumbness", having destroyed your passport and disposed of your mobile phone , then engage the services of a human rights/ immigration lawyer, occasionally shouting Ali Akbar works for all the illegals who despise us

lol best you go check out how much a human right lawyer costs......would be cheaper to pay the invoice 😁

16 hours ago, 3NUMBAS said:

Be ware they can now snoop on your bank and BSaccounts with ease so they know from debits where you are and where you live..

Much misinformation about this. For the past 2 years HMRC have given me higher new tax codes and stopping far too much tax on interest earned. Last year complaints got nowhere this year I got an answer. Yes they do use an Ai system to work out your tax, but it's little more than guesswork, no they cannot or are not looking at bank accounts, they said they could not. I had to give them account details and how much interest I would be earning last April to this. They accepted it and gave a large rebate and far lower monthly tax bill

I expect the hysteria about tracking you in and ut of the country is a similar situation

6 minutes ago, visalady said:

Much misinformation about this. For the past 2 years HMRC have given me higher new tax codes and stopping far too much tax on interest earned. Last year complaints got nowhere this year I got an answer. Yes they do use an Ai system to work out your tax, but it's little more than guesswork, no they cannot or are not looking at bank accounts, they said they could not. I had to give them account details and how much interest I would be earning last April to this. They accepted it and gave a large rebate and far lower monthly tax bill

I expect the hysteria about tracking you in and ut of the country is a similar situation

This is not true, the very first post was from someone in hospital who was visited in hospital by the NHS recovery team looking for money, they had his records either from immigration or airline, and presented him with a bill

and last year thousands of child benifits were stopped as, their records did not show the children entering the UK after holidays, again not known if this info came from immigration or airline records https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cge5nl4qxdno

If interested look up at the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025,

passed in 2025, rolled out in2026

Yes, if you are suspected of benefit fraud, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has powers to see specific bank details, including your balance. Under the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025, these powers have been significantly expanded.

UK Parliament - +4

2 hours ago, howerde said:

That is good for you, but for someone who lets say has renewed their passport in Vietnam or abroad and will have provided proof that they live abroad, that information is stored AND can be used in data sharing with UK agencies. the world is getting smaller. there is no escape in a digital age

Not sure they have any way to connect your 'renewed in Vietnam passport' to your UK Bank or NHS or UK address. Unless you paid with your UK card registered at your UK address, and even then, it's only a maybe.

Quite a few pay for their passports with an agents card, or a UK relatives card.

31 minutes ago, howerde said:

This is not true, the very first post was from someone in hospital who was visited in hospital by the NHS recovery team looking for money, they had his records either from immigration or airline, and presented him with a bill

OP told them he had been out of the country for months.

there is a lot of scaremongering going on these days, but , without exception, in my experience of everything from visas and extensions, to yellow books, to banks, to tax , and everything else in between nothing is ever as bad as is stated on this forum.

14 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

OP told them he had been out of the country for months.

After they turned up at hospital with a bill, and he had not been out the country for 90 days, was it not 77 days he had been out the country thus not the 90 day cut off, and the OP got is MP involved, and the bill was cancelled. they had his travel records, so either the NHS checked with immigration or used airline records and they brough these with them.

14 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

OP told them he had been out of the country for months.

he had also been suffering on the flight, and was picked up by ambulance at heathrow , That may well have also caused some bureaucrats to look a little deeper,, But he clearly did not help himself

The whole charade is an absolute disgrace when illegal immigrants who have contributed and will contribute nothing to the system get treated better than those of us who have contributed for years, being economical with the truth is always the best policy they don't know as much as some would have us believe.and as another member has pointed out most people talk themselves into trouble,, Remember you have the right to remain silent, and should do so

What's the 90 day rule all about? people can go on holiday for more than 90 days if they so wish and it should have no bearing on their right to receive free NHS treatment

If they tried to issue me with a £15,000 invoice I would stick it in an envelope and send it straight back to them having wiped my arse with it first .

25 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Not sure they have any way to connect your 'renewed in Vietnam passport' to your UK Bank or NHS or UK address. Unless you paid with your UK card registered at your UK address, and even then, it's only a maybe.

Quite a few pay for their passports with an agents card, or a UK relatives card.

Sorry i was not clear if as a Brit applying for a passport from abroad, then you supply details to show you are living abroad(driving license, resident certificate), this info is stored on the home office database, remember when you apply you need to send a photo copy of every page of the old passport, that info WILL be input in the system(all those yearly extensions), my point is they will know if you are living abroad, Home office records can be used if benefit fraud is suspected, it is a long long boring document but that fraud recovery act of 2025, allows agencies to cross check all systems, the DWP did say that their first targets were child benifits and pension credit fraud, the NHS has its own fraud department. none of them are going to publish exactly what or how they check.

9 minutes ago, howerde said:

Sorry i was not clear if as a Brit applying for a passport from abroad, then you supply details to show you are living abroad(driving license, resident certificate), this info is stored on the home office database, remember when you apply you need to send a photo copy of every page of the old passport, that info WILL be input in the system(all those yearly extensions), my point is they will know if you are living abroad, Home office records can be used if benefit fraud is suspected, it is a long long boring document but that fraud recovery act of 2025, allows agencies to cross check all systems, the DWP did say that their first targets were child benifits and pension credit fraud, the NHS has its own fraud department. none of them are going to publish exactly what or how they check.

But there is no way (I can see) to link your Passport to your unique Identity.

My Thai driving license, my Thai bank card and my Thai address have no connection to my UK bank or my UK address in any UK government database.

Only the name is connected, and in my case there are over 100,000 other guys with the same name as me living in the UK (John Smith).

1 hour ago, Bday Prang said:

there is a lot of scaremongering going on these days, but , without exception, in my experience of everything from visas and extensions, to yellow books, to banks, to tax , and everything else in between nothing is ever as bad as is stated on this forum.

Agreed. One particular very well known troll who regularly gets 'expelled' has multiple profiles. Others don't like the thought of anyone 'getting away with it' so suggest things aren't as easy as they used to be etc.

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

What if you left before immigration kept records?

Yes, good point.

I'd say only recently (last 10 years) been implemented.

5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

OP told them he had been out of the country for months.

lol no I did NOT

2 hours ago, howerde said:

that fraud recovery act of 2025, allows agencies to cross check all systems,

But not for routine searches. They must a get judge to sign off for said searches on a case by case/police etc investigation !

2 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

he had also been suffering on the flight, and was picked up by ambulance at heathrow , That may well have also caused some bureaucrats to look a little deeper,, But he clearly did not help himself

The whole charade is an absolute disgrace when illegal immigrants who have contributed and will contribute nothing to the system get treated better than those of us who have contributed for years, being economical with the truth is always the best policy they don't know as much as some would have us believe.and as another member has pointed out most people talk themselves into trouble,, Remember you have the right to remain silent, and should do so

What's the 90 day rule all about? people can go on holiday for more than 90 days if they so wish and it should have no bearing on their right to receive free NHS treatment

If they tried to issue me with a £15,000 invoice I would stick it in an envelope and send it straight back to them having wiped my arse with it first .

You're quite delibearely being obtuse

Ambulance....try reading I think it was the 2nd post I made (without going back).....I declined the ambulance airside which would have incurred cost and managed to get landside where it was free as always

Talk myself into trouble ?? Lol I virtually ignored the woman in the hospital as was also detailed as I was more than slightly ill......I stuck the requirements she required in my bag where they stayed (do go back and read fella) inotherwards ignored it completely. It was only when the invoice arrived I had to do something about it

They didnt try to issue me with a £15,000 invoice.......they simply did

The MP made it clear they "can" invoke a requalifying period (which I also detailed previously) so whether you like it or not thats the position

Out....

1 hour ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Yes, good point.

I'd say only recently (last 10 years) been implemented.

Same as the UK then, immigration never used to list citizens leaving the country.

13 hours ago, Chivas said:

You're quite delibearely being obtuse

Ambulance....try reading I think it was the 2nd post I made (without going back).....I declined the ambulance airside which would have incurred cost and managed to get landside where it was free as always

Talk myself into trouble ?? Lol I virtually ignored the woman in the hospital as was also detailed as I was more than slightly ill......I stuck the requirements she required in my bag where they stayed (do go back and read fella) inotherwards ignored it completely. It was only when the invoice arrived I had to do something about it

They didnt try to issue me with a £15,000 invoice.......they simply did

The MP made it clear they "can" invoke a requalifying period (which I also detailed previously) so whether you like it or not thats the position

Out....

It is you being obtuse ,

I did not say you took the ambulance "airside" as that was made obvious , but you admittedly got the ambulance at Heathrow "landside" do you not think the fact that an ambulance was sent to Heathrow might indicate that the person who required it had just got off a plane ?

Its not me that doesn't like your situation pal its you , I have returned back to the UK for medical treatment several times, without issue , looks like one of us is doing something wrong and its not me ,

If your replies on here are indicative of your general attitude I'm not surprised they went to town on you, some people just do not know how to behave,

This forum is awash with people who seem to suffer all sorts of problems and from what I can see most bring it all on themselves with their attitude There is also a certain type of person who just loves spreading fear and misinformation

The other week somebody tried to tell me it was illegal to drive in the UK using a valid licence, and that if one had been out of the country for 180+ days one would need to use ones Thai licence, utter rubbish that could prove costly

17 hours ago, Chivas said:

lol best you go check out how much a human right lawyer costs......would be cheaper to pay the invoice 😁

laughable, do you really think illegal immigrants, or anybody else availing themselves of the services of human rights lawyers pays for it themselves? That "honour" is bestowed on the UK taxpayer

Thanks for this info. Very handy to know. I checked how Australia compares...

Same principle — residency-based, not citizenship-based. Key facts:

Eligibility rule: Medicare eligibility hinges entirely on residency, not just your passport. Capital Insurance

The 5-year rule: Non-resident Australians living abroad are eligible to use Medicare and claim Medicare services on trips back to Australia for a period of up to 5 years after departing Australia. Expattaxes

After 5 years: Where an Australian citizen has been living overseas for greater than five years, the person's enrolment in Medicare drops off and ceases. To be eligible again, the person must re-enrol in Medicare and must be living in Australia, providing 2 separate pieces of evidence of that fact. Expattaxes

Card expiry caveat: If your Medicare card has an expiry date of less than 5 years, practically speaking you won't be able to renew your Medicare card whilst living overseas, so you'll be limited to claiming Medicare benefits only until the card expires. Expattaxes

No overseas coverage: Australian Medicare does not cover you for medical services while overseas Odin Tax, except in countries with a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) — and Thailand is not one of them.

Key difference from NHS: The NHS threshold is 3–6 months; Australia's is 5 years. So you have considerably more runway before losing entitlement on visits home.

On 2/25/2026 at 9:11 PM, Kinnock said:

110I have PR in Thailand and rarely go back to UK, but I still have a UK address in addition to my Thai address. I've also paid enough NI over the years to not to continue with payments.

I'm aware that if I make a trip back to UK I would not qualify for NHS treatment, but my current medical insurance should cover major issues anyway.

But my understanding is if I moved back to the UK, I would re-qualify for NHS?

So if you've been in Thailand for an extended period, could you just move back to UK?

Yes,instant cover.lived Thailand long time,until cancer,far too expensive thailand.seen treated instantly,after arriving in UK,even knowing I lived there and encouraged to return to the after treatment

Cost them a bloody fortune 3000 quid just in taxi fares for 5 weeks treatment,110 quid a week tax free instantly every week, attendance allowance,85 a week cleaner,but know which side my breads buttered on,staying in UK,but come out to th 3 times a year now for 90days,but UK ain't that bad...really

17 hours ago, howerde said:

This is not true, the very first post was from someone in hospital who was visited in hospital by the NHS recovery team looking for money, they had his records either from immigration or airline, and presented him with a bill

and last year thousands of child benifits were stopped as, their records did not show the children entering the UK after holidays, again not known if this info came from immigration or airline records https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cge5nl4qxdno

If interested look up at the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025,

passed in 2025, rolled out in2026

Yes, if you are suspected of benefit fraud, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has powers to see specific bank details, including your balance. Under the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025, these powers have been significantly expanded.

UK Parliament - +4

Load of tosh,crap.means tested benefits are under spotlight,not OAP,read the rules,no checking,same living in the unfrozen,no checking at airports

On 2/25/2026 at 5:54 PM, howerde said:

Thanks for the report, i am sure many did not know this, i did not, so those who have been out of the UK for 90 days need at a time. lose their right to free NHS treatment and have to qualify again, very interesting that they see to have access to peoples immigration records, so those people who have just given a relatives address as their own, and return months years later, can expect the same treatment, idid look it up on google and it does say if you leave the country for 90 days or more you are supposed to tell your GP and you are removed from their list, and you have to register again when ypou return, This is going to be a big issue for many planning to return to the UK for treatment.

Hope you are feeling better and all the best

Crap

On 2/25/2026 at 6:46 PM, howerde said:

I read she had his travel records, i remember last year thousands of families lost their child benefits as their travel records showed their children leaving the UK but the system did not log them in on their return, the first the knew about it was when the benifits stopped

It would seem this has now been actioned by the NHS if you look at the NHS guidlines it states that you should tell your GP and you are taken off the list if leaving for more than 90days, when you return to be a resident you re register, the question have they been taking people off the lists who have maybe been gone years?.

I expect it will not be long before some find their pensions frozen based on their immigration records

Is this justifying that frozen pension of URS? Shush,keep it quiet,keep to your frozen pension,jealousy hurts.for the unfrozen ,no checks bank/airport etc,not means tested,no penalties,should have worked that one out years ago,nobody ever has been compulsory frozen,ask DWP better still a1

Going back in 4 days,prolonged stay in TH thru cancelled flights,glad in a way,just too damned hot, and it is getting expensive Thailand and even more hospital work,new knees too.,goodbye to every one take,no notice of the crappy doom and gloom shysters,laughable being on frozen pension for years,losing all that money,bitter feelings tho,jealousy kicks in

1 hour ago, Bday Prang said:

There is also a certain type of person who just loves spreading fear and misinformation

The other week somebody tried to tell me it was illegal to drive in the UK using a valid licence, and that if one had been out of the country for 180+ days one would need to use ones Thai licence, utter rubbish that could prove costly

Absolutely. I had an outstanding arrest warrant in UK. I knew for a fact that UK Border Force have zero interest in warrants and police matters in general upon the basis they don't get paid enough. Even the UK police don't go out to arrest someone with an outstanding warrant. The warrant awaits until you are arrested for something else. I had already flown in/out Manchester Airport three times. Our resident troll assured me that I would be arrested upon arrival. As you say, utter BS troll.

Unfortunately the thread has got dragged off course. Wasn't about human right lawyers, Benefit Fraud or anything else other than a NHS finance recovery team targetting (wrongly) a British Resident who they had thought had been out of the UK for a period of time which auto disqualified him from free NHS treatment

They got it wrong and rescinded the invoice but it doesnt remotely alter the fact I was billed in the first place......my Member of Parliament confirmed that their action was quite lawful had their information been accurate in the first place

The thread is not about illegal immigrants getting free treatment. Discuss that on your own thread

On 3/27/2026 at 11:35 AM, howerde said:

the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, which received Royal Assent on 19 June 2025, look this up, this allows all agencies to share information the NHS is rolling this out 2026, they now see all your travel records which they get from the airlinesand all other agencies, but if you live in the UK no problem as you will be on the council tax register and voting register, registered with GP. this is all checked automatically if you show no digital foot print in the UK, then the agecy will contact you directly, the main issue for retired British people abroad with no insurance, is thinking if i get ill i will just fly back to UK and use the NHS, as the OP pointed out he was visited in hospital by the recovery team, i have seen a few reports elsewhere of people returning form Spain in the same situation, it is only going to get harder to fool the system

For some maybe I get the distinct impression, from all your doom laden warnings , that you have never even tried to "fool the system" I have , many times, I always got away with it and saved myself a fortune as an added bonus,

What's more I'm not the only one, I reckon people like you are a little jealous of those of us who successfully scam the system , but as long as there are people like you who "do as they are told" there is less chance of lazy inept civil servants looking too hard for the rest of us,,

So crack on you'll get your reward in heaven (as long as you pass the residency test)

On 3/6/2026 at 6:37 AM, SAFETY FIRST said:

On 3/6/2026 at 6:37 AM, SAFETY FIRST said:

Australians automatically loose their residencey when living outside Australia for more than 5 years.

You have to reapply for your residency and Medicare card after 5 years.

Seems like It's only a male thing.

My friend had his mother return to Australia after being away, living in the states. She's in her 60's, been away from Australia for a decade, she went to Centrelink, renewed her Medicare card, her residency was re-established and receiving her Medicare card without delay, no wait period.

Body gender discrimination.

Sexism, it's rife in Australia.

On 3/27/2026 at 10:05 PM, BritManToo said:

Same as the UK then, immigration never used to list citizens leaving the country.

Passports are scanned/checked upon entry and exit in Australia.