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Jim Bigelow · Joined: 23 Oct 2003 Posts: 175 Location: KSA

Just wondering about this and thought I'd throw it out for anyone who can shed some light!

I was told that if you leave the UK for more than two years then you lose your eligibility for state benefits, would be charged international fees for University etc etc.
If that's true then surely there must be a way to keep ties with home and also preserve our benefits? What is that? Paying national insurance, regularly topping up our UK bank accounts?

If you have some idea then please let me know,

Many thanks,

Jim

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

If you are talking about Social Security benefits then decisions on your entitlement are pretty arbitrary. Some things, such as keeping open a bank account in the UK or coming back every summer for a couple of months, can work in your favour.

In general though you should be coming back with enough in the bank to bar you from claiming social security. After you've worked a few weeks you'll be eligible anyway.

As for university fees I think the residence stipulation is clear.

You can pay National Insurance while you are abroad, but it will only count towards your pension. As the House of Lords has just ruled it is quite OK for the government to take your money for 45 years, but never increase your pensiion if you live in the wrong country, I suggest you make very sure you're going to be retiring somewhere they will revalue it like the EU or USA.

Jim Bigelow · Joined: 23 Oct 2003 Posts: 175 Location: KSA

younggeorge · Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Posts: 350 Location: UAE

Ive been through this a few times and a key issue seems to be whether your employment overseas has a time limit on it. If you're on a fixed-term contract, even if it's renewed several times, that counts in your favour. Together with other links like having immediate family in UK, owning a house there, visiting regularly, you can build a case. My own daughter is at university on domestic (i.e. not international) fees, having done a BTEC Diploma there instead of A-levels: it took a while to get a decision to count her as UK resident for the Diploma, but we made all the connections I've mentioned and it was accepted.

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Well they keep moving the goalposts. You CAN get information in the UK from a CAB (Citizen's Advice Bureau) but quality of advice varies. There are also Welfare Rights Agencies who are usually a bit more assertive than the CABx.

I still think it is worth paying National Insurance to preserve your entitlement to State Retirement Pension - but even that is a gamble, as this week's decision in the Lords confirms. They ruled that it is okay for HMG to uprate the pension annually for those living in the US but freeze it for those living in Canada !

PM me if you want more on this and related NI issues