Thread: moving back to uk...HELP

Hi,I am new to this site but it all looks very interesting.I wonder if any one out there can advise me....I have lived in spain 20 years and have just had a nervous break down while being employed.I believe i shall have to go back to London.As i claim sick benefit here in Spain I need to know what to do.Do i sign off here,and seek a DR and help and benefits in UK or can I go to Uk and live there with family,,and claim my benefit in spain???All very confusing right now PLEASE can some one help me.Thank you

Hi Janine, and welcome to Britsabroad.

I'm not able to offer any sensible advice on this, but would like to think some of our expats in Spain would be able to help.
Isn't it as simple as just returing and signing up with a doctor on the NHS? Usually if you are a British subject returning permanently from the US and have an address in the UK, the NHS etc will take care of you, in the same way as the DHSS will. Not sure what the implications of signing off there are. It may be best to call someone at a UK benefits office to see what the situation is before you sign off there in Spain.
This link may help you Returning to the UK

Thank you for your reply...will check out the address you posted.I will let you know how i get on.

Please do. :)

Hope that it will all work out for you, but as far as I understand, people going back to the UK after being away rarely have a problem.
I intend to move back to the UK within the next 2 years so I'll have to do some research too.

The link you sent was very useful..I still find it hard to believe that i can be sacked from my job while being on the sick.I am still researching this point but i will let you know how i get on..again thanks for your comments.

Glad the link helped. Hope that it all works out for you too.
It's weird how some countries do things. Just be thankful you don't live in Florida, you can be fired for no reason in the first 90 days at a company, and 4 late attendances (they call them "tardy's" here) or 4 sick days in 3 months can result in dismissal.
It's amusing because it's called a "right to work" state, but in reality just means that you can be sacked or leave from most jobs without penalty or giving notice. It's basically stacked in favour of the employers. The upside is that they can't so anything if you leave. I decided I'd had enough of of my employers a few years ago and went into the HR office at the end of one day and told them I was finished and I wouldn't be back in the next morning. They can't do a damned thing about it, they can't withold pay because of lack of notice and neither can they give you a bad reference because of it.

Anyway, let us know how you get on eh?

Hi, signing off in spain sounds like a bad move to me.
We are in the EU so I would suggest that you see a doctor in the uk before doing anything.
The benefit could/should be transfered.
Be careful about who you tell locally that you are going to the uk.
I would say that you are going on a short break, just in case things dont work out or the authorities have some weird rule that is as yet unknown.

All good points and sound advice, Tony.
Hope your Christmas was good :)

Hi Purp, bit of an anti climax after all the build up to be honest. and its been minus 6 all week, I prefer the heat :(
Hope ypur was good too.

Originally Posted by thearmchairdetective

Hi Purp, bit of an anti climax after all the build up to be honest. and its been minus 6 all week, I prefer the heat :(
Hope ypur was good too.

Hi T, bit of an anticlimax here too. It's kind of a shallow affair here in the US anyway. The only day off is christmas itself, and even then a lot of people have to work if they're in a service related industry which a lot are.
At least we had some cool weather to make it feel like it was Christmas. It was -3C outside on the back porch last night according to my digital min-max thermometer. Not cold by UK standards, but pretty chilly for here in Florida. It's only hit 12C today.

Happy new year to you, and remember, while you're wishing to move out of the UK, I'm dying to move back. The grass really isn't greener here at all.