claiming benefits if I take my Thai children to the UK

[transam]

I don't really believe in right or wrong.

There is what you are allowed to do and what you aren't allowed to do.

If you are allowed to claim benefits, then you do it.

It is neither right or wrong, it is just something else you are allowed to do.

I claimed many benefits in the UK for many years, no laws were broken, I was allowed to do it.

I followed the rules, and used the system to my best advantage, this is the modern way.

I would somehow agree with that, thats why half the planet are heading for the UK, AND other places.

[Ulic]

Your kids are far to young to get anything out of the trip. They should be at least 8-10 years old or they will

have little memory of the trip. 2-3 month trips during the school break and a year long trip to the UK after

high school before uni.

[FiftyTwo]

Your kids are far to young to get anything out of the trip. They should be at least 8-10 years old or they will

have little memory of the trip. 2-3 month trips during the school break and a year long trip to the UK after

high school before uni.

Just to point out you can't use UK university unless you have resided in the UK for at least the five previous years.

(Well you can, but only as a foreign student, paying foreign student fees which are 5x UK student fees)

Better off, returning with kids throughout their entire high school and claiming benefits.

Also to point out the two children aren't full UK citizens until they have resided in the UK for 5 years.

If they don't do their five year residence, they can't pass on British citizenship to their children.

Getting them on the child benefit lists, will be proof they are entitled to pass on British citizenship.

PS

Once on child benefit, it doesn't appear to stop being paid when you leave the country.

I can find no mechanism to stop claiming it! (that must be wrong)

Edited March 13, 2014 by FiftyTwo

[wolf5370]

the government, quite rightly IMHO, have tightened up on benefits. as i understand it unless you prove you are actively looking for employment then you will only qualify for minimal benefits - and you will be expected to take any suitable/reasonable employment opportunity offered to you or you will lose all your benefits.

if you want to see what life on benefits is like in the UK these days download a recent channel 4 four part documentary 'benefits street'.

the days of an easy life on the dole are over.

As a single parent with 2 under 5's, he will not need to be looking for work. However, without NI payments in history he will probably be stuck with just Family and child tax credits and family allowance - although they can add up. He may also get emergency housing depending on where he lives, given he has two youngsters and no abode.

[jjablonsky]

A question for you. kindly explain what the British tax payer should fund a jolly for the three of you?, suggest if you can't afford it, don't buy it !

Thanks for your unhelpful suggestion. You obviously have nothing better to do than to moan on forums.

Well sais nonthaburial, For marty827, If you can't afford to go for a year don't go, why should someone else pay for you and your children to lounge around the UK for a year?

[jacko45k]

Have you been paying National Insurance while you have been away? If not, answer is probably no. You may be able to get child tax credits though - may. You would be able to get family allowance though as they are British citizens (once you are at home). Think you would need a job of finances though really - can family over there help during the day?

I do not believe National Insurance impacts this, likely he only paid voluntary Class 3 if any.

He likely can get what you say but to me it seems an abuse of the benefits system, as he is not really out of work, and has effectively not been fired or made redundant. Benefits have become harder of late due to Mr Hague and more needy cases are suffering badly.

Edited March 13, 2014 by jacko45k

[Noi657]

A question for you. kindly explain what the British tax payer should fund a jolly for the three of you?, suggest if you can't afford it, don't buy it !

Thanks for your unhelpful suggestion. You obviously have nothing better to do than to moan on forums.

Well sais nonthaburial, For marty827, If you can't afford to go for a year don't go, why should someone else pay for you and your children to lounge around the UK for a year?

Why not? Seems to work for non uk residents!!

[DisparateDan]

Youtube has many videos of how scroungers are living on handouts, and complaining as well.!

[wolf5370]

Have you been paying National Insurance while you have been away? If not, answer is probably no. You may be able to get child tax credits though - may. You would be able to get family allowance though as they are British citizens (once you are at home). Think you would need a job of finances though really - can family over there help during the day?

I do not believe National Insurance impacts this, likely he only paid voluntary Class 3 if any.

He likely can get what you say but to me it seems an abuse of the benefits system, as he is not really out of work, and has effectively not been fired or made redundant. Benefits have become harder of late due to Mr Hague and more needy cases are suffering badly.

NI makes a difference to unemployment benefit (Job Seekers Allowance - and they will refuse if there was not enough (or any) contributions for the proceeding years - though they will usually pay the NI minimum from the point of registration, which will allow it the following year - although for that even he would have to go to the job centre once a week and sign off showing jobs applied for etc). As his NI is not paid, he would be handed to the tax credit system.

He would be able to claim tax credits (family and child) - these are applicable to any citizen in the UK working or not, as a top up - it depends on the income earned currently as to how much (if any) they amount to - I think the cut off is quite high, about 55k a year. In the first instance they would expect to see that he had been earning and now wasn't and could not access JSA, then he would receive the higher amounts for both as his income is zero - and as a single parent of two under 5s can not work. Tax credits are not an abuse as everyone is entitled to them as everyone else there is - if he intends to stay at home in the UK (and as an earlier tax payer) then there is no reason he should not as he would have two little ones to bring up. Raising two knee biters is work, is a job, and that is accepted - there are many single parent families that are not, cannot be, actively looking for work - they are not (necessarily) work shy or abusing the system - sometimes sh!t happens and one is left alone with young children and no support. The state understands that some people cannot be actively looking for work and this is covered in the welfare net too - not just single parents, but severely handicapped, elderly, orphan students, hospitalised, etc.

If his wife comes too, then he will still get the tax credits, but they will then expect him to go out and work and would be a different story.

Most of the changes to the benefits system are designed to limit the amount of accumulated benefits (some people managed to do very well on benefits - regardless of what they show on Benefits Street - I once lived in Woolwich in London, in a block of flats that was more than 90% benefit residence (I was paying not benefit) - the flats were two story with large rooms, double glazing, entry phone security with video and security staff, large communal gardens, etc - I had the oldest car in my block - a 5 year old Nissan whereas my neighbours had BMWs etc - many went out to work but still claimed - things have/had to change! Labour helped build a generation of benefit hounds - damaging the country as much perhaps as the unions did in the 70s and they still decry any move to rake some of this back - making it a more lucrative alternative to working .There is also the move to remove the incentive for generation after generation of non working benefits scroungers - making work look more attractive, by limiting benefits and conditioning them on trying to work.

However, as a single parent of 2 under 5s he would not be penalised - although there is less money in the system now.

[wolf5370]

As an American, I enjoy reading the word "jolly". If you were in America, you could simply start a bank, pay yourself 2 million a year, mis-manage it to FBAR (another term I sometimes enjoy), and then get bailed out and retire rich.

food stamps in USA, I think, is like $200 a month. Maybe you can do that in Thailand, but not in America. And everyone yells at them......as the Fed prints trillions and manipulates everything.

ah, slightly off-tangent.

so, when in UK, drop off your resume to the parliament every few hours. should work.

cheerie-oh . or is it cherry-oh. ok, back to my noon beer with bar girl.

The UK has a much better welfare safety net for its residents than the USA - there is too much political opposition in the USA - just look at Obama Care for example. The country was basically shut down at the start of the year in an effort to limit welfare reforms - for months, making more people actually need it!

In the UK in the 70s and early 80s there were food stamps (kind of) - that families could use to buy groceries and daily essentials (including nappies etc) but not cigs and booze. Then it changed to cash, so they did not feel hard done by standing in a queue in Tesco and paying with coupons. As with the farmers here in Thailand, giving the low educated poor cash does not guarantee their families get fed, it does mean a lot more bottles of beer get bought along with new mobile phones and cars! They have started creating food banks across the UK to help those that need food - but this is being criticised all the time by the opposition as if it is a bad thing to provide that protection - in an ideal world they would not be needed, but the last government made sure that they were needed (and decry them now) by royally fudging up the country's economics and reserves and relaxing banking rules.

I'm all for bringing back coupons for family essentials (by electronic card these days) as a way of reducing fraud that costs the country massively each year. I am also for ID cards to prove entitlement to NHS etc (without the whole DNA Database that got it kicked out last time - both due to its massive expense to the individual and the complexity and legality). I am also for using the banks more (seen as in some cases the country own 80% of the stock!) - and do such things as transfer mortgages and freeze payments for people suddenly unemployed - to stop them losing their homes - the profit will come back when the person gets their life back in order or dies (the latter through insurance) - this can be done right now using compulsory purchase rules to buy off other lenders and through banking policy pushed through the board under voting power - it would not affect the banks as it would actually increase their holding assets and business. Also providing micro loans - and flat charge payday loans to force other companies (charging up to 8000% or more) to play ball or get out (easily limited by not allowing an accumulation past say 2 month's wages). This would all reduce the cash requirements that are currently being paid and can easily be abused, and fraud to boot - as well as helping with debts and commitments that suddenly unemployed people can not meet immediately.

[elliottm]

Simple answer, no. you will fail the test as you have been living overseas.

You may be able to claim JSA but you will have to be actively looking for a job to get it, about 70 quid a week & you can get child benefit for the 2 kids, 82 a month for the first & approx 65 for the 2nd.

Thanks for your help Boo. I think I will end the discussion there, as people on this forum speak as if I'm a benefit scrounger although I had paid tax and national insurance for over 30 years and had never claimed a penny in my life. All I wanted to know is what my options were so thanks for your help.

That's as I understand it:

- Statutory child benefit available with:

i) proof of being the father (translated Thai birth certificate)

ii) proof of children's residence in UK (Dr/dental visits, attendance at nursery etc)

- Family tax credit dependent upon savings less than 16k and no other income above a weekly maximum.

- Housing benefit should be available at local rates.

- JSA dependent upon meeting criteria for seeking work, not preferred solution for a year's cultural exchange.

To join the wider discussion, 60% of ALL Brits are NET welfare benefit recipients (per the Office for National Statistics) - FREE education and health care for themselves and their families at point of delivery, public infrastructure, alphabet soup of universal benefits and means testes top-ups from cradle to grave - so most of those commenting and perhaps now also having ties to Thailand will be/have been net benefit recipients themselves.

My taxes of nearly 20k pa helped pay for them.

[bkk_mike]

i did employ a polish truck driver, and yes on uk wages, but he could claim child benefit for his 3 kids who lived in poland with his wife!!!!

now how u work that one out, and this is true, not a troll post.

if i wanted i could claim for my daughter in belgium because i work in the uk, but also could claim in belgium.

somhow the whole system needs to be revised.

and no, i dont claim a penny, i work to support them, as a dad, its my pride.

I didn't claim Child Benefit on my Thai-born stepdaughter on the basis that I earned too much and wasn't entitled.

Worst decision I ever made.

It's actually better to claim and then pay the extra tax to offset it because EVERYTHING is tied to Child Benefit as the system makes an assumption that everyone gets it. i.e. My stepdaughter is fortunately still in school, and heading off to University, but she's spent over 6 months trying to get a National Insurance number because they're all set up to ask for your Child Benefit number, and if you don't have one, you're totally shafted.

I'm actually in favour of either scrapping it altogether, or making it Universal again. One or the other, so that they fix things for the kids who didn't get Child Benefit claimed for them.

[lormakmak]

you are 53 years old and still expect hand outs from the state!

Please stay away from this country and stay where you have chosen to re-locate to....

you could go on the dole/job seekers but it may ruin your daily routine, my friend tells me these days when seeking work you have to report to the job centre everyday and at different times, this is being implemented on all new and recent applications.

It put him off of signing on.... have I put you off yet?

Keep teaching and doing what you are fortunate enough to be doing out there!

Cheers

[Thongkorn]

you are 53 years old and still expect hand outs from the state!

Please stay away from this country and stay where you have chosen to re-locate to....

you could go on the dole/job seekers but it may ruin your daily routine, my friend tells me these days when seeking work you have to report to the job centre everyday and at different times, this is being implemented on all new and recent applications.

It put him off of signing on.... have I put you off yet?

Keep teaching and doing what you are fortunate enough to be doing out there!

Cheers

Nasty man, stop telling what many people are thinking. These people are living the Dream remember. Or maybe in a Dream

[BKK Blues Brother]

you are 53 years old and still expect hand outs from the state!

Please stay away from this country and stay where you have chosen to re-locate to....

you could go on the dole/job seekers but it may ruin your daily routine, my friend tells me these days when seeking work you have to report to the job centre everyday and at different times, this is being implemented on all new and recent applications.

It put him off of signing on.... have I put you off yet?

Keep teaching and doing what you are fortunate enough to be doing out there!

Cheers

Age does not matter!

He is entitled to claim tax credit/child benefit/housing etc.

His children will have good schooling.

Reporting to a job centre once a week for an hour or whatever is nothing compared to struggling in LOS.

Go for it OP, for your children's sake!

[PoorSucker]

Off-topic post trying to start a discussion about, the US system removed again.

US is not UK.

[ableguy]

Simple answer, no. you will fail the test as you have been living overseas.

You may be able to claim JSA but you will have to be actively looking for a job to get it, about 70 quid a week & you can get child benefit for the 2 kids, 82 a month for the first & approx 65 for the 2nd.

Thanks for your help Boo. I think I will end the discussion there, as people on this forum speak as if I'm a benefit scrounger although I had paid tax and national insurance for over 30 years and had never claimed a penny in my life. All I wanted to know is what my options were so thanks for your help.

You are a scrounger no better than any other economic migrant, get a life where you are responsible for your family.

[lormakmak]

you are 53 years old and still expect hand outs from the state!

Please stay away from this country and stay where you have chosen to re-locate to....

you could go on the dole/job seekers but it may ruin your daily routine, my friend tells me these days when seeking work you have to report to the job centre everyday and at different times, this is being implemented on all new and recent applications.

It put him off of signing on.... have I put you off yet?

Keep teaching and doing what you are fortunate enough to be doing out there!

Cheers

Age does not matter!

He is entitled to claim tax credit/child benefit/housing etc.

His children will have good schooling.

Reporting to a job centre once a week for an hour or whatever is nothing compared to struggling in LOS.

Go for it OP, for your children's sake!

yes take your children away from their mum for a year at the ages they are it will not benefit them one bit!

when he first comes back here where is he going to stay? it takes a little while to get housed, still it's milder here at the moment so he can sleep under the stars with 2 kids in tow.

he won't be reporting to a job centre much, my mate has 2 kids and is in social housing, he works for specsavers 16 hours a week standing outside with the sign on a busy high street or handing out leaflets, they are forcing people to do things like that these days!

at 53 years old with a teaching job and settled life in Thailand I say stay put, at 53 and coming back to the UK with 2 kids maybe the stress will be too much for him.

The biggest thing he got going against him is having English as a first language, he won't get much help down the social with filling out all the forms!

I see he mentioned in the first post about me and the wife....well good luck getting her a visa when all he wants to do is scrounge off the state.... approx £19k is the min annual salary to qualify for a spouse visa and its best part of £1k to apply these days.

Cheers

Edited March 18, 2014 by lormakmak

[jackinbkk]

This is the problem with the UK. Too many people think they can just get hand outs. It's all take, take, take.

If you pay taxes then sure the state should help you in bad times but it can't just be a freebie for everyone.

[sustento]

But until an end is put to all the welfare waste, it is an entitlement and everyone should claim it. If you don't others will!

Morally reprehensible. The so called waste is benefits being handed out because people make fraudulent claims.

What about the people who run the UK? The MPs, do they not make fraudulent claims? Have some not been jailed for it? What's for the goose is for the gander.

I've never thought that 'he's a criminal why can't I be one too?' was a particularly moral way to live.

[FiftyTwo]

But until an end is put to all the welfare waste, it is an entitlement and everyone should claim it. If you don't others will!

Morally reprehensible. The so called waste is benefits being handed out because people make fraudulent claims.

What about the people who run the UK? The MPs, do they not make fraudulent claims? Have some not been jailed for it? What's for the goose is for the gander.

I've never thought that 'he's a criminal why can't I be one too?' was a particularly moral way to live.

Thailand has taught me a different morality.

[NoshowJones]

No but if the people running the country always put themselves first. Why should you not

Sent from my GT-S5360 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[notmyself]

No but if the people running the country always put themselves first. Why should you not

Would you jump off a mountain because somebody else did?

[thepool]

"Hi all,

My Thai wife would like me to take my two boys to the UK for a year so they can experience the English language and culture. Can anyone tell me if I would be able to claim benefits while I'm there. I am a 53 year old British citizen. My one year old and two year old boys have both been registered as British citizens. The eldest has just returned from a holiday there with me. I am working here in Korat as a teacher and can quite easily take a year off and return to my school here in Thailand. I'm not sure if I would be able to work in the UK as I will have to look after the boys, so will need some support to live on."

This person wants "support" ?

This is exactly why I resent still having to pay tax in the UK despite living in Thailand.

If a one year holiday cannot be afforded then do not attempt to have the sojourn paid for by tax payers like me !

I am outraged by the audacity of this poster.

[FiftyTwo]

"Hi all,

My Thai wife would like me to take my two boys to the UK for a year so they can experience the English language and culture. Can anyone tell me if I would be able to claim benefits while I'm there. I am a 53 year old British citizen. My one year old and two year old boys have both been registered as British citizens. The eldest has just returned from a holiday there with me. I am working here in Korat as a teacher and can quite easily take a year off and return to my school here in Thailand. I'm not sure if I would be able to work in the UK as I will have to look after the boys, so will need some support to live on."

This person wants "support" ?

This is exactly why I resent still having to pay tax in the UK despite living in Thailand.

If a one year holiday cannot be afforded then do not attempt to have the sojourn paid for by tax payers like me !

I am outraged by the audacity of this poster.

Note

They won't give you a tax refund if he doesn't go, so why do you care?

I also pay tax, and if he can get any of mine, good on him!

[thepool]

FiftyTwo

You are clearly a better person than me !

Who is going to pay for your next holiday ?

[FiftyTwo]

FiftyTwo

You are clearly a better person than me !

Who is going to pay for your next holiday ?

I was thinking of taking my kids to the UK, hoping your taxes will pay for it.

But I'm really good at claiming government freebies, so a couple of other people may need to donate their taxes too.

(only kiddin')

Edited March 19, 2014 by FiftyTwo

[FiftyTwo]

The trick to claiming in the UK.

The UK system of free money is primarily aimed at single women with children.

In order to get your share, as a man, you need to fit yourself into the "single woman with children" mold.

First, you need to understand that the single woman must at all times be considered 'blameless' for her situation.

Easy for her, it was all a man's fault, presumably the man who fathered the children.

This situation is quite hard for a man to achieve (blaming a woman is a big NO NO).

UNTIL

British Immigration stopped Thai ladies coming to the UK.

Fantastic, as a UK citizen you can now come to the UK with your UK children and be entirely blameless for your 'single parent' status.

1. "I don't have the right to stay in Thailand, not enough savings for a marriage VISA extension"

2. "Thailand is a dangerous place for my children without me around, all those creepy pedophiles"

3. "I love my wife and wanted her here in the UK with me, but British Immigration, wouldn't let her in"

The perfect position to be to claim everything because,

1. None of it was your fault.

2. It's not for you, it's for your children.

3. No chance of finding work, because as a single parent, the children come first.

4. They can't say no just because you are a man.

[thepool]

Or the alternative scenario

Single man

No visible means of supporting two children

Social Services informed.

Children removed to a foster home.

[FiftyTwo]

Or the alternative scenario

Single man

No visible means of supporting two children

Social Services informed.

Children removed to a foster home.

Foster homes are paid far more to look after the children, than the original parent/s.

Parent/s being poor is not a valid reason for foster care either.