Options for a returning ex-pat who is skint and old?
Discussion
A close friend of my wife's has a family situation and has asked us for advice. Her father who is now in his sixties has been living in Thailand for many years. Apparently for visa reasons he now has to return to England, and she's been asked to help him get 'settled'.
AIUI he's the family black sheep and a ne'er do well, and she's terrified he will turn up at her door and put all his problems of where to live and what to live on in her lap. She's not in a position to cope with any of this, has barely enough money for her own family's needs and no room to house him.
So what she (and on her behalf I) would like to know is what to do about it? Is there an agency she or he should approach and if so should that approach be made now or when he returns, which will probably be at the end of the year?
AIUI he's the family black sheep and a ne'er do well, and she's terrified he will turn up at her door and put all his problems of where to live and what to live on in her lap. She's not in a position to cope with any of this, has barely enough money for her own family's needs and no room to house him.
So what she (and on her behalf I) would like to know is what to do about it? Is there an agency she or he should approach and if so should that approach be made now or when he returns, which will probably be at the end of the year?
He needs to establish if he is entitled to any benefits or pensions. Has he been paying UK NI, for example? He'll need a UK bank account which is problematic, though not impossible for a returnee. I think the NI status is found through a number that can be googled. What will he do for accommodation? That's what I'd be worried about..
He can check here to see what level of state pension he'll be looking forward to.
https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension
My brother-in-law has worked abroad almost his entire life. Never put a penny by or accumulated any assets, just lived for the moment. I dread to think what his old age will be like when he decides to return to the UK. He's early 50s now.
https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension
My brother-in-law has worked abroad almost his entire life. Never put a penny by or accumulated any assets, just lived for the moment. I dread to think what his old age will be like when he decides to return to the UK. He's early 50s now.
CoolHands said:
He needs to go and sit in the council offices and say he is homeless and wait till they house him. If she lets him stay with her, the council will never house him as he is already staying somewhere, and she will be stuck with him.
But as a single man the best he'll get is a place in a hostel. And even those are in short supply. It gets worse!
We've just heard that he has a Thai wife and two young children! One would think this would allow him to stay in Thailand but for that to work the wife would need to own a house and she's as skint as he is. He's got some relatives in Thailand (which is why he went there to start with) but they are fed up with him and won't help him any more by which I understand they won't give him any more money.
We've just heard that he has a Thai wife and two young children! One would think this would allow him to stay in Thailand but for that to work the wife would need to own a house and she's as skint as he is. He's got some relatives in Thailand (which is why he went there to start with) but they are fed up with him and won't help him any more by which I understand they won't give him any more money.
Ok- I used to deliver a cities housing and homelessness services.
dealt with many people like this, although more often its people coming back from the Shangrila that is Spain, when the money runs out or their health fails.
he has a right to be assessed under legislation.
However see: http://www.housing-rights.info/habitual-residence-...
Clearly he is a UK national with a right to reside. His primary concern needs to be addressed to the DWP to see if he is entitled to any state assistance though.
Look at it simply: you want to claim HB, CT rebate, benefits, yet you have a pile of assets abroad ??? Hmmmmm.
in terms of social housing- its about where you are in the country. turn up here, I'll give you a bedsit or flat today- you just need to be able to show you can pay the rent, or show that the DWP will pay it for you. London- forget it.
Temporary accommodation- no- you'll be directed to a hostel- there is little reason an adult WITHOUT vulnerabilites shouldn't be able to sort somewhere out.
Now if he is disabled, ill, mental health issues, drug, alcohol dependant- possibly a duty of care may exist to provide temp accomm whilst his case is assessed.
Oh and everyone he deals with, will think him a filthy pervert for going to Thailand to marry a young women in the first place. You might not like it, but they will.
dealt with many people like this, although more often its people coming back from the Shangrila that is Spain, when the money runs out or their health fails.
he has a right to be assessed under legislation.
However see: http://www.housing-rights.info/habitual-residence-...
Clearly he is a UK national with a right to reside. His primary concern needs to be addressed to the DWP to see if he is entitled to any state assistance though.
Look at it simply: you want to claim HB, CT rebate, benefits, yet you have a pile of assets abroad ??? Hmmmmm.
in terms of social housing- its about where you are in the country. turn up here, I'll give you a bedsit or flat today- you just need to be able to show you can pay the rent, or show that the DWP will pay it for you. London- forget it.
Temporary accommodation- no- you'll be directed to a hostel- there is little reason an adult WITHOUT vulnerabilites shouldn't be able to sort somewhere out.
Now if he is disabled, ill, mental health issues, drug, alcohol dependant- possibly a duty of care may exist to provide temp accomm whilst his case is assessed.
Oh and everyone he deals with, will think him a filthy pervert for going to Thailand to marry a young women in the first place. You might not like it, but they will.
singlecoil said:
Apparently for visa reasons he now has to return to England.
It used to be that Thailand was relatively relaxed about overstays, but in recent years they have been cracking down hard on people that overstay their visa. With that as the explanation, there's a fair chance he's been fined, refused a Visa and banned from returning for several years.http://overstay.immigration.go.th/advice.html
So, any tales of "it's just for a couple of months" are likely to be nonsense.
austinsmirk said:
Oh and everyone he deals with, will think him a filthy pervert for going to Thailand to marry a young women in the first place. You might not like it, but they will.
Err but we don't know if the wife is young or not. Only that doing the maths, she will be younger than him. But she could still be 50. 
creampuff said:
austinsmirk said:
Oh and everyone he deals with, will think him a filthy pervert for going to Thailand to marry a young women in the first place. You might not like it, but they will.
Err but we don't know if the wife is young or not. Only that doing the maths, she will be younger than him. But she could still be 50. shtu said:
singlecoil said:
Apparently for visa reasons he now has to return to England.
It used to be that Thailand was relatively relaxed about overstays, but in recent years they have been cracking down hard on people that overstay their visa. With that as the explanation, there's a fair chance he's been fined, refused a Visa and banned from returning for several years.http://overstay.immigration.go.th/advice.html
So, any tales of "it's just for a couple of months" are likely to be nonsense.
eltax91 said:
If he's that skint, how's he flying 4 of them from Thailand?
No idea. I don't know how the Thai authorities deal with people whose visas have run out, whether they simply drive them to the border or put them on a plane or what. If they did pay for the ticket, that would only be for him I suppose. Or perhaps they would have to get on the refugee trail and trek across Europe.I've often wondered what would happen if I just turned up at Heathrow and said "OK, I'm back, I need a place to live, a car to search for a job, beer money"
I hate the way irresponsible behavior is rewarded.
I can add that assuming he is 65 he will be entitled to a pension based on his time in UK, so a percentage of 115 per week, his wife, assuming they are legally married and over 60 will also get a smaller amount. Ages of the children will also give them allowances which will probably be used by the the two irresponsible adults and not on the children as the system intends.
So the best advice is to not help them.....and let the system take the load....but it's your taxes.
I hate the way irresponsible behavior is rewarded.
I can add that assuming he is 65 he will be entitled to a pension based on his time in UK, so a percentage of 115 per week, his wife, assuming they are legally married and over 60 will also get a smaller amount. Ages of the children will also give them allowances which will probably be used by the the two irresponsible adults and not on the children as the system intends.
So the best advice is to not help them.....and let the system take the load....but it's your taxes.
singlecoil said:
From what I understand his visa runs out at the end of the year, but I'm getting all this third hand so it might be he's already in trouble.
Very likely he's either already in bother, or it's made up. Here's the visa classes, http://www.thaiembassyuk.org.uk/?q=node/44He might have been doing 30-day visa runs, there's been a significant clampdown on that. http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/work/693976/vi...
Either way, if it was me I'd be doing my damndest to have little to do with the situation as you describe it.
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