# Moving back to the UK after 40 years in SA



## Janbronte (May 26, 2008)

I wonder if any of you have any advice for two of our friends, who after 40 years are moving back to the UK because of the political climate there. We stayed with them for almost a month a couple of years back and they would NEVER return to the UK (in their own words) Now things are getting out of hand, and they fear they could lose their home etc...............

WHAT if any benefits are they entitled to here in the UK, they are both 60 ish. She has a British passport, being born here and moving to SA when she was 19, he is a South African by birth, but of Welsh parentage.....both have now got the required documents to travel.

They are both willing to work in the UK, he is a Graphic Designer/Artist and Web Site deisgner and my friend is happy to do anything which is available.

We have tried via the CAB and many other agencies here in the UK to get some advice for them and there is not even the courtesy of and answer.

If anyone can give me some advice on where to go and who to ask...or even on their own experiences.....it would be fantastic.

Thanks all

Jan


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Janbronte said:


> I wonder if any of you have any advice for two of our friends, who after 40 years are moving back to the UK because of the political climate there. We stayed with them for almost a month a couple of years back and they would NEVER return to the UK (in their own words) Now things are getting out of hand, and they fear they could lose their home etc...............
> 
> WHAT if any benefits are they entitled to here in the UK, they are both 60 ish. She has a British passport, being born here and moving to SA when she was 19, he is a South African by birth, but of Welsh parentage.....both have now got the required documents to travel.
> 
> ...


Well they could start at the Dept of Work and Pensions in Newcastle, but I have a feeling that if she hasn't contributed to the system for all these years they wont be entitled to much in that way.

Department for Work and Pensions

I think as a UK Citizen she may eventually be entitled to Health cover, but iirc there is a 6 month waiting time before they are allowed access. I'm not sure that he will have access to the Health system at all as I assume he is an SA citizen, but they really need to check with the DWP


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

I got free emergency medical care at St. Elizabeth's in London, and I was a tourist, so at least emergency medical should be covered.

Have they been traveling back to the UK regularly? Because if they haven't, it is going to be a big adjustment. And if they have been living in a typical South African style with a fairly good-sized house, pool, live-in maid, and a gardener, they are going to have to make a lot of life-style adjustments, too. 

And of course, there will be the weather.


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## neonoceans (Jun 5, 2008)

Good advice above. In short, the UK will not readily accommodate their Citizens who've lived half their lives overseas without contributions of any kind. The sad reality seems to be that other newly minted EU nationals get preference nowadays first! 
Does the UK government actually owe your friends anything? (military pension etc?)
No harm in them trying to get support and benefits (if any available) but it certainly won't be easy...


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## Happiness (Jul 17, 2007)

Janbronte said:


> I wonder if any of you have any advice for two of our friends, who after 40 years are moving back to the UK because of the political climate there. We stayed with them for almost a month a couple of years back and they would NEVER return to the UK (in their own words) Now things are getting out of hand, and they fear they could lose their home etc...............
> 
> 
> Jan


I am British and would say: why return to the UK? all of our friends there want to leave! cost of living is horrendous, so unless they are very rich life will be hard, plus you probably need to speak Polish nowadays . . . 

We currently live in SA if we eventually return to Europe it will be to France, our French is much better than Polish;-) and they still value family life.


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

I would actually agree, if they do have a pension of some sort,or are able to get some money out of SA, somewhere cheaper(and perhaps warmer) such as managing a B&B, or caretaker type job in Spain ,the islands etc,doing someones books whatever they were doing in SA,they would have had some saleble skills to stretch whatever they have.
I'm unfortunately reminded of the Zimbawean whose monthly pension after 40 years cannot buy him a loaf of bread.
The other alternative is to stay in SA but try and move somewhere less dangerous, such as Port Elizabeth, much as tho I am extremely critical of the SA Govt,I doubt if they are about to be disposessed.


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## Happiness (Jul 17, 2007)

My sister, who has lived in SA for 45+ years, lives in PE, I doubt she would agree it is safer there, whatever stats you may come up with! 

However, we have friends who live in Swellendam, for an example, who claim it is extremely safe and they don't lock their cars at night. There must be many places as such, in more rural areas. I would say if you do stay in SA in retirement years, go to the smaller towns, away from the large cities.

We have travelled in and around Cape Town at all hours and felt quite safe.
We have friends who returned to CT to live, because they wanted to 'get away from the crime' in London! their 12 yr old boy was beaten up at 3pm for his cell phone. My son was attacked in Norwich, by thugs who tried to beat him and friend around the head, but luckily they got away, they went to the local police station and it was closed: 10 pm! 
We could spend days giving our own stats, on our experiences anywhere, if you're in the wrong place, wrong time, then you could be anywhere.
My niece has lived in Jo'burg for years and never had a bad experience, she went to visit her brother in London for a weekend and was mugged and robbed on a London bus!

We live in Gordons Bay and it is relatively peaceful here, we have had some crime, it would be wrong to say not, but I feel safer than I did in the UK, in a seaside town, where every house around us was robbed, I hated being alone in the house in the evenings and would have loved to have the security that I have in my home here.

There are reasons we may leave SA in a few years, and I agree with you Daxk, Spain, France, Malta, Italy are much better options, in other ways than just the weather! Ireland is a beautiful country, with lovely people, but not sure I could hack that weather now!


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

Whoaa!I was'nt saying ANY place in SA is safe.
I was saying as you did that smaller towns are safer tho if you get tagged as having something somebody wants, thats it.
I agree with you,I dont feel safe in a lot of places, espcially in the UK.there ae places in Dublin or Limerick or even Ballinasloe in Ireland I would'nt wander around at pub closing time.
And as for Jhbg,it took them 53 years and 3 attempts to get a gun to my
head.
I was arrogant about it for 53 years , 200 odd days.

The Question however was for advice regarding two people in their sixties
returning to the UK.
My mother who is late 70's wont leave SA as she feels at her age she's prepared to take the chance with her friends and other grandchildren around her as starting afresh would be difficult.. 
I am very happy that you and your friends are enjoying a crime free existence,long may it continue.
The weather took about two years to get used to, its like living in Dullstroom ,Eastern Transvaal ,permanently, but a small price to pay to not repeat the experience..


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## Happiness (Jul 17, 2007)

no, I think you said safer, and that's what I said! but not to worry, I can understand where you're coming from and I really don't feel confident I would never be a victim, of course, it is indeed a crime ridden country, with many problems, but there's many good things go on here and many folk live here and lead normals lives. The old saying that 'once the hand of Africa touches you, it never lets you go' is true for me, even tho it's not real Africa down here . . .nevertheless it gets to you, in your blood.

It must have been a dreadful experience, what you went thru and I would want to leave immediately if it happened to me/us. Whils tthe world is full of haves and have nots crime will exist, you only have to look at the townships to understand, what have they got to lose.

But, back to returning to the UK after 40 years here: well, neighbours of ours did just that in January, not because of crime or political worries, but because they were worried about lack of transport, when getting too infirm to drive and the rising costs of medical aid. They stayed with a daughter first off and then moved into a housing trust's apartment, for retirees. They couldn't afford to buy a property in the UK, so they rent, as do most folk who return if they only have an SA property to sell.
But they now have the cash from the house sold here, with interest accrueing, they are in their late 70s and are contented with what they have.

We have other friends, our hairdresser and his partner, who returned last December and are living in Scotland . . . they bought a very small house for £150,000, took the main bulk of their money, so far they seem quite happy and keep telling me the weather is wonderful!
Have to say, Scotland has more appeal for us than England.

Well, good luck to the folk who are returning, I am sure they will do it if they make up their minds to.


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

Perhaps they should consider a less expensive destination, such as Mexico, if they aren't going to have sufficient funds to live in the UK.


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## Happiness (Jul 17, 2007)

Janbronte said:


> WHAT if any benefits are they entitled to here in the UK, they are both 60 ish. She has a British passport, being born here and moving to SA when she was 19, he is a South African by birth, but of Welsh parentage.....both have now got the required documents to travel.
> 
> We have tried via the CAB and many other agencies here in the UK to get some advice for them and there is not even the courtesy of and answer.
> 
> ...



Hi Jan,
just a thought, have you tried the Govt websites (sorry don't have a link but if you google 'benefits UK' or similar you should find it) I know they have info and you can print off leaflets, they have them in umpteen different languages, telling folk to 'make sure you apply on arrival so you don't miss what you're entitled to' ! 
Good luck.


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## DadTwoThree (Jun 30, 2008)

Don't (in my opinion) move back to England, at their age they will be treated as second class citizens, will be at the end of a long queue for benefits or help and allthough the country of their birth it is not the England they left 40 years ago. Age discrimination is rife allthough unlawfull and if they haven't paid into the system God help them. Other European countries would be better, Poland is empty!!


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## Happiness (Jul 17, 2007)

DadTwoThree said:


> Don't (in my opinion) move back to England, at their age they will be treated as second class citizens, will be at the end of a long queue for benefits or help and allthough the country of their birth it is not the England they left 40 years ago. Age discrimination is rife allthough unlawfull and if they haven't paid into the system God help them. Other European countries would be better, Poland is empty!!


Hmm, DadTwoThree,

You confirm what I hear from friends still in the UK.

Not sure if the person who posed the question is reading all this as they haven't posted again!


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## oddball (Aug 1, 2007)

Not having lived in the country practicaly all or most of thier lives , benefits will be scarce and VERY lean , should they not have lots of money to support themselves or can live in a rabbit hutch feeding out of dumpsters , think deeply . Colin .


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