Single dad ..half thai 8 year old..thinking of going back uk

[Binden]

Thanks sooo much for all the input...im still scared going back to blighty though..gonna save like crazy for a couple o years 1st i think..

[MaeJoMTB]

Thanks sooo much for all the input...im still scared going back to blighty though..gonna save like crazy for a couple o years 1st i think..

Go back with 200-500GBP.

If you go back with 10k, you won't get any help.

The younger the child is, the easier it is for them to adapt.

You'll be provided with 2 bedroom accommodation within 1 month of setting foot in the UK.

Male with female child gets the best of all worlds.

Edited February 18, 2016 by MaeJoMTB

[Morakot]

You'll be provided with 2 bedroom accommodation within 1 month of setting foot in the UK.

Male with female child gets the best of all worlds.

I wouldn't like to discourage the OP; there are a lot of options in the UK in terms of support. But the above sounds slightly over-optimistic.

There are many Councils that have long --if not very long-- waiting lists. While the OP might be able to claim housing benefit, to get into social housing accommodation for someone moving in from outwith might not really be feasible. Many local authorities require the benefit applicant to demonstrate some connection with the area.

It would be wise to have some savings, as the OP would very likely be renting privately. The saving shouldn't exceed the benefit threshold.

[Binden]

Thankyou...i know it sounds very optomistic?also i would like 2 ask ...iv been seeing a nurse from a well known b.k hospital for a long time..thinking about getting married and taking her to the uk...would they still pay housing benefit for me and my daughter???thanks every 1..really appreciate all the response.???

[MaeJoMTB]

Thankyou...i know it sounds very optomistic?also i would like 2 ask ...iv been seeing a nurse from a well known b.k hospital for a long time..thinking about getting married and taking her to the uk...would they still pay housing benefit for me and my daughter???thanks every 1..really appreciate all the response.???

You need 62,000gbp in the bank to take a foreigner home.

You're sounding like a troll now.

[Binden]

Excuse me??????

[Binden]

Its a genuine question????

[xylophone]

Let me approach this from another angle...............if you were able to provide your daughter with a good education here, would you stay?

I ask this because you seem very reluctant to go back to the UK despite asking the question, this especially when other posters have given you some good information.

If it were me I would be weighing up other options, such as if I were able to get better paid work here/other work and could provide my daughter with a "good" (whatever that means) education would I be happy to stay? If you are that reluctant to go back to the UK, then this is perhaps an option and by the sound of it the least attractive option is the UK one.

Notwithstanding others trying to put a positive spin on things, you may well find it very difficult to get a job at almost 50 years old, this especially when you have been out of the country for 16 years and sure, there are benefits to be had, but they only serve to give you an "existence" rather than a life, whereas changing things around here and taking the positive spin and putting it to work here, may serve you and your daughter better.

[Binden]

Thanks for the feedback...sounds good but its almost impossible 2 get a higher salary 100000 baht a month as a teacher...many i know r lucky 2 get 50 per month..if i cud go to inter school i wud have 2 go 2 uni 2 get a teacher cert...at my age?thanks..by the way ur rite..wud like 2 stay?

[Puyai]

Really..oh and she already has a british birth certificate[emoji4]i made sure wen she was 1st born...would i get benefits as well after 16 years outside the uk???thankyou very much for your input

When I came back to the uk with my son I had to be in the country for 1 month before I could apply for any benefits.

[Puyai]

Let me add that my son has flourished here and does not want to go back to Thailand. I'm now in the process of applying for his mother's visa to join us here.

[Binden]

Thankyou..glad 2 talk 2 sum 1 who has done it?may i ask how olds ur son ,how much benefits u got..north or south uk??and do u personally regret goin bak 2 uk??sorry all the??????s but need 2 know these things..thaks soooo much

[Puyai]

He's 3 1/2. When I came back and started to receive benefits it was about 160 pound every 2 weeks, plus 20 pound child benefit a week. I did not claim housing benefit as I went back to live with my mother. I am now in full time employment and my son is in full time pre-school, which he loves. That doesn't cost me anything as I get quite a lot in tax credits being a single working father. I live in the south west, Gloucestershire. Luckily I have a choice of 5 great schools in the local area, which is the reason I returned to the uk. Like you I was teaching in Thailand (7 years) and do not regret coming back one bit. Anyway my son is way more important to how I feel! I have just completed 6 months of work here and now I'm trying to get his mother here. You said you wanted your partner to come and live too. Well first thing you need to do is get a job paying more than 18,600 a year!

Edited February 19, 2016 by Puyai

[Jackin1960]

I don't want to put a damper on you but it's not so simple as everyone here is making out having done this two years ago. Firstly you will have to undergo an HRT (Habitual Residents Test) you must pass this or you could wait many months before you get help.

For this you should find a place to live and make sure that you have things all sorted so you have the bills in your name and you have changed you driving licence to the new address open a UK bank account Halifax is one place that will do that for you. Join the things local and draw up a list of UK friends and family. Get a doctor sorted for you both. Then once you consider your self a habitual resident again you can start on the road to sorting council housing and Benefits. It's not to hard to do but it works as I said we did it but we knew we had to do the HRT as I was out the UK for almost 30 years. Good luck.

[Puyai]

One more thing. I was not claiming as much as I should have because I didn't claim for child tax credits! I wouldn't worry too much about the HRT. It's more of a procedure. If you have been living abroad for an extended period, most of the questions are totally irrelevant!

Edited February 19, 2016 by Puyai

[Binden]

Thanks a lot chaps..amazing help?just a couple more things please...how old r u 2 get full time employement..congrats by d way?

[Puyai]

I'm 37. I didn't know what to do when I came back, so I invested a bit of cash to get a license to operate a telehandler on construction sites. 2 days after the course I had work. I now earn considerably more than the visa requirement. Best money I've ever spent getting that ticket!

[Binden]

Nice 1..please remind me whats a telehandler?thanks..sorry to sound so dumb but i really have been in lol 2 long...iv worked on sites a long time ago..olympic village barcelona 92 .a fork lift driver..licensed..cheers..oh sorry and roughly how longs the course and how much..thanks a lot???

[Puyai]

Telehandler is a telescopic forklift truck.

1200 pounds for the training. Can earn up to 15 pound an hour after that. If you have some experience you can do it in 3 days (cheaper) otherwise it's 5 days.

[Binden]

Cheers for that mate.sounds like a good idea????

[daveAustin]

You'll likely find life in UK tough after los. Different speed, very different culture, the working week world, the ridiculous cost of housing and the grey. Also don't think it's as easy as people are making out, getting benefits and housing that is. I had to wait 3 months to get the standard child benefit (that everyone gets) and have heard from a friend they had to wait three months to get on the dole. It does make me cringe somewhat however when folk have been out of UK for many years and talk of how much will I get etc. The whole housing and welfare thing is a major drag on the coffers, but hey ho at least you're British.

Regards work, consider downloading the Indeed app which covers all the UK for all types of work. Update your CV. Wouldn't worry about the kid fitting in; they're resilient and pick it up real fast as my boy did. As to bullying, and especially to those of other cultures, schools now keep a good eye on it (it's very multicultural here now, everywhere) with perpetrators dealt with sharply.

Good luck.