Anyone who has been out of the United Kingdom for 2 years or more no matter how long you have lived there before will find it extemely difficult to get help to put back down roots if you have exhausted all your finances and find the need to approach the system for any benefits or help with housing with the Council.
You have to prove habitual residency for starters. This is proving you have connections in the area of your choice but even this is not enough.
Answering such questions like where do you actually stay? If more than one address, please state them all and the number of days at each.
Who else lives at the address? If you stay at more than one address, who else lives at each address? What relation are they to you?
Do you have their permission to use this as a care of address?
What was your last permanent address and when did you live there?
Was that address owned or rented? What happened to it?
Do you actually sleep at the care of address? If so, how often?
Have you lived with any occupant of the care of address or occupants of any of the addresses you stay at (if more than one) anywhere else?
Where are your belongings - clothes etc?
Where do you wash and change?
Where do you wash your clothes?
Where do you eat?
How long do you expect this arrangement to last? If it is temporary what efforts are you making to find your own address?
Who is your GP and are you registered with one.
Why are you here?
When did you come over?
When did you last claim benefits?
Did you work abroad?
Do you own property abroad?
Are just a few of the questions you get asked. The reasons for all this the DSS say is to prevent 'benefit tourists':
??
Why do we have to prove habitual residency when the place is full of other nationalities who dont and seem to get eveything??
I had occasion to go and check this out should I decide to go back there for any emergencies or whatnot and I was shocked at the treatment you get. I checked out 3 councils.
LCC said to me my circumstancs have not changed and all I did was to go to Turkey and spend my money and come back so nothing had changed I had made myself intentionally homeless (my house was under reposssion order and I had no alterative at the time but to sell up (even though I wanted to anyway but in my own time and not be bullied out)). StaffordCC said I dont know anyone in the area so cant help there except put your name on our waiting list. Wirral Borough C said I would have to prove habitual residency despite having relatives in the area.
There seems to be a uniform criteria that all councils duck and dive around to avoid offering you any assistance whatsoever as a british citizen returning to your country after period of absence.
I got the impression the door had been closed on me for daring to live abroad and making a life elsewhere
Perhaps the thing to do is give up your UK passport and then go back in.
Thankfully Im back over here and intend to stay:D Another reason for not going back:D
