Thread: Moving from England

My neighbours who are English and OAPs said they want to move to Ireland with their adult daughter - she doesn't work but she helps them round the house etc.
They'd be able to buy a house if they can sell the house they own in England and will live on their pension.
They said they can get free health care and won't pay any council tax and will get cheap electricity because they're on pensions.
Is that so?

At present there is not council tax in Ireland, but the goverment are planning to introduce a residential property tax which will be similar.

Qualified pensioners get an allowance that can be used for gas or electricity, essentially if provides a certain number of free units for each billing period. If they are in receipt of the UK social security pension but do not have an Irish social welfare pension (either as a recipient or as a dependant) they may be entitled to a medical card on production of EU Form E121. If they are entitled to a medical card this will provide free medical cover (GP, Hospital, specialists, etc) but from April this year will have to pay a charge for prescribed medicines.

Is the daughter in receipt of a social welfare payment in the UK?

To be honest I can't see why they would want to move, their UK pension is paid in Sterling and they will be at the mercy of exchange rate fluctuations.

I don't know why they want to move except they like the countryside. Their daughter doesn't sign on unemployed or anything - they just all live off the pension - so could she get free medical cover as she's no income?

No I don't think she would qualify as she is not currently in receipt of a welfare payment in the UK. She would not meet the habitual residency requirement to qualify for social welfare in Ireland. She could apply but I doubt that she would get anything, she would be regarded as a welfare tourist. As a matter of interest what age is she? Could she apply for a carer's allowance in the UK?

She's about 40 but hasn't ever worked (other than helping her parents). I'll suggest they apply for a carers allowance as it'd surely make life easier if they had a bit more money coming in.
Many thanks for your advice - I think they ought to stay where they are but they seem to think it'd be easy moving to Ireland.

While there is a reciporal agreement for people in receipt of the UK State OAP, there could be difficulties with someone seeking another form of welfare payment other than Job Seekers Benefit in Ireland. There is a programme whereby a person claiming Job Seekers Benefit in one EU state can transfer that payment to another EU State for a limited period. The transfer has to be approved in advance and on the basis that the climant is moving to another EU state to seek employment. For all other social welfare payment an habitual residence condition applies. Habitual residence in Ireland is a condition that claimant must satisfy this condition took effect from 1 May 2004 and affects all applicants regardless of nationality.

I would strongly recommend that your friends do their homework thoroughy before making the move as they may lose a number of ancilliary benefits which are not available in Ireland. They should also be aware that the cost of living in Ireland is much higher than in the UK and in particular the cost of gas and electricity is 30%+ higher.

Moving at any age is something that should not be entered into lightly but even more so when the person(s) considering the move are older. If they are moving to a city they may find it difficult to make new friends and establish themselves in a new community, not impossible but not that easy. Should they move to rural Ireland they could find themselves very isolated with little or no public transport.

The more I read the more I think they should stay where they are!
This habitual residence condition is I take it more than them just being resident in Ireland? If their daughter couldn't get free health care (is it legal to have no health cover/pay as she goes?) then that'd surely make them think more.
Trouble is, I think they're planning to just buy a house and go and sort everything out once they live there!