POINTS TO CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING A DECISION TO MOVE TO THE UK FOR
SETTLEMENT
1.
Remember that you are moving from a third world country to a first world country where
lifestyle, culture, working system, law and language are all very different. If you are unable to adjust
to the lifestyle there, life can turn out to be real difficult and miserable. You could end up very
lonely, depressed and isolated.
2.
There are positive sides of life in the UK that you will enjoy:
a.
Well established and very good state benefit system but it is changing from October
2013 and will affect the working age and those below the age 65. Those who are also of
Pension Credit Age will be affected.
b.
First class medical facilities & government subsidies.
c.
Very good education system for children and further adult education and courses for
those of age 18 and above.
d.
Excellent banking system.
2.
However, if you are unable to speak, write and understand English and you have no one to
help you, life can turn out to be very uncomfortable and hard. All working age people will be at
work and unless you have your friends, family or relatives to help you in your time of need, you will
face great difficulty in overcoming your problems. Once you arrive in UK, you will be treated the
same as any British citizen and hence the law of the land will apply to you and you will have to
follow the system. You will not be treated any differently and there is no special treatment for
Gurkhas. Now think about these points:
a.
Do you have a good standard of oral and written English to be able to communicate
with others who do not speak Nepali? How are you going to go about seeking help if there is
no one to help you? If you do have friends and family to help you, you will be in a better
position to deal with your problems but without their help, you will find the going really tough.
b.
Do you have family/relatives who have already settled successfully in the UK who could
help you when you first arrive there? If not, how are you going to manage to look after
yourselves? Who is going to arrange your food, accommodation etc? Who is going to help
you if you should fall into financial difficulties?
c.
Depending on which part of the UK you live in, how are you going to spend the days?
Will you be living in an area where there are lots of Gurkhas of the same age as you?
Remember that loneliness and isolation can lead to depression and mental health so having
company of your kind and of the same age group will be of great help.
d.
What about your family members you will be leaving behind in Nepal? Who is going to
look after them if they are completely reliant on you? Despite the recent appeal case
involving 18+ children and the hullabaloo it has created, the rules for 18 year old and above
has not changed and you will not be able to take them with you as this is not part of the
settlement arrangement. They will have to apply independently under the normal immigration
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rules and the application fee is not refundable even if the application is rejected. So there is
cost to think about. Rules for adult children are very strict and only those with very strong
reasons may be allowed to join their family in UK. Point to note is that each case is judged on
its own merit and each case will be dealt differently.
e.
The cost of living in the UK is very expensive and it is one of the most expensive
country in Europe and the world. Will you be able to have a quality of life with the benefits
that you receive? Most benefits are income related and hence any income that you have, like
the army pension, will be deducted from it. Also, remember that you will have to pay for rent,
food, living expenses and utility bills. Buying Nepali food is not that difficult if you happen to
live in an area where there are Nepali and Indian grocery shops. But if you happen to live in
an area where there are no such shops, it can be quite frustrating and difficult.
f.
Weather in the UK is very unpredictable and changes quite rapidly. It can be extremely
cold in the winter and without proper winter clothing and central heating, it is going to be very
challenging. Many elderly people in the UK have died of hypothermia during the severe
winter months. It rains even in winter and the days are very short - it gets dark by 4:00pm and
daylight breaks only around 8:00am. Summer can be beautiful if the weather remains
favourable but if it rains, it can be horrible. Many people suffer from hay fever in the summer
months and from other allergies. You too could catch this and end up living a miserable life if
you do not know how to take care of it.
g.
Due to the present poor economic and job climate, it is very difficult to get a job for
those under Pension Credit Age i.e. below 60. Anyone above the age of 50, will be very
lucky to get a job. Even graduates are unable to find jobs and most are in low paid
employment. It is a very competitive market and without the language and job skills, the
chance of landing a job will be very slim. For working age group, you must be able to speak
and understand English otherwise gaining access to your eligible benefits could prove to be
very difficult.
h.
Age definitely matters as those aged 50 and above are finding it the hardest to get a
job. Coming to the UK at an elderly age is going to be even harder as you will face many
difficulties and challenges. And as human nature has it, the older you are, the greater the
difficulty in adapting to a new way of life because of your age, physical ability, and retention
power and age related illnesses. The most difficult and demanding time will be if one of you
should fall seriously ill and is hospitalized or need care at home – how will you cope with this
sudden change in circumstances if there is no one to help you?
i.
Will you be able to cope without any family and friends? After all, your children will
always be emotionally attached to you and so, will you be happy at heart if you are going to
miss them dearly?
j.
Do not go to the UK because of hearsay as life in the UK can be very different to what
they say. Life in UK is not paved with gold and with the current economic downturn and
changes being introduced to the welfare system; life is going to get even harder.
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3.
After thinking long and hard, if you still decide to go to the UK, you will still need to think of
the followings things:
a.
If you feel your English is not up to the standard then start learning it in Nepal before
you leave for UK as this provides you with a better prospect of getting a job and being able to
integrate with the society there. You will be better prepared to face the challenges and handle
these without having to resort to help. You will be self-reliant rather than depending on
others all the time. You will enjoy a better quality of life.
b.
Who is going to help you, especially in the early days of your arrival in the UK? The
Gurkha Welfare Centre (GWC) provides help, advice and support but their resources are very
limited and can only do so much. You will have to fend for yourselves before you start
receiving benefits. The GWC is extremely busy and so do not expect them to solve all your
problems. Not all problems are solved swiftly and will take time as everyone has to follow the
system. Unlike two years ago, the number of welfare cases has increased drastically and the
increase workload means people will have to wait longer for their turns. The GWC is
completely different from the AWCs in Nepal. The GWC is not a ‘Drop In’ centre and most of
the cases are handled via phone and email. Hence it is very important that you are computer
literate. If you are not, it is best that you learn how to use it as well as mobile phones before
you depart for the UK. Technology is part and parcel of everyday life in the UK. Also know
how to use the banks and the ATM card as this can come in very handy.
c.
Where are you going to live in the UK? In Aldershot and Farnborough area jobs,
housing and other resources are getting more difficult to get as it is already over populated
with ex-Gurkhas. Other areas also have ex-Gurkha communities where you may have a
better chance of getting housing and other facilities more quickly than in Rushmoor but each
county has its own problems.
d.
There is nothing better than to come prepared as it will be so much easier for you to
adapt to the new lifestyle more quickly than those who come unprepared. You will be selfreliant and hence can get on with your life without having to rely on others all the time. You
will have confidence and the communication skills to deal with problems that come your way.
The ‘Life in the UK’ booklet is to help you in understanding what life is like in the UK and you
should read it thoroughly.
e.
In conclusion, remember that we are only here to advice you but it is you who make the
informed decision to go to the UK. So please think long and hard before you make that final
decision because if things don’t turn out the way you envisaged, the consequences could be
quite devastating.
4.
Just to give an idea, please look at the list of examples where ex-Gurkhas have turned to the
GWC for help. As you can see, life in the UK is not the best option for everyone.
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EXAMPLE CASES OF SETTLEMENT
a.
A retired Gurkha in his late sixties in a very difficult predicament when his wife
died suddenly. As he had no relatives in the UK and not knowing anything about death
registration and funeral procedure, he was completely helpless and in distress. He came to
GWC Aldershot in desperation to seek help and guidance. The GWC managed to arrange for
another retired Gurkha to take him to the hospital, death registration office and to meet the
funeral director. His tribal community association has also been informed and may provide
financial assistance. The GWC helped him to apply for funeral grant from the Social Fund
through Job CentrePlus and also faxed his wife’s death certificate to the son in Nepal to enable
the son to apply for a visit visa to the UK – for which UKBA is likely to require a guarantor.
b. A retired Gurkha and his wife, both in their late sixties, who had recently received their
Housing Benefit and Pension Credit payments which had been processed through GWC;
but they did not know how to use their debit card to check their payments and to
withdraw cash from a cash machine. Having only heard of a banking system in Nepal but
never having used a cashpoint card before, they were completely helpless. Besides, having no
relatives in the UK, they did not know who to turn to for help. The GWC is now helping them to
check payments and withdraw cash as well as teaching them how to do it themselves. Only
time will tell how long it is going to take them to master this simple task. This is one of the
classic examples of problems that retired Gurkhas face when they cannot speak or write
English. (We know of other cases where elderly Gurkhas have stopped passers-by to ask them
to operate cash machines for them, thereby disclosing their PIN numbers.)
c.
Two widows, one being mentally unstable, and both under the age of 60 came to
the UK for settlement with an assumption that they would be entitled for pension credit
but found to their great surprise that they were not eligible due to the increase in
pensionable age (Equalisation Table). Though the GWC helped them to claim Job Seekers
Allowance and Housing Benefit, they found life extremely difficult because the benefits they
received were not sufficient to meet their daily existence. Moreover, the situation was made
worse due to their complete lack of English. In the end, they decided that life in the UK was not
for them and both returned to Nepal with assistance from the ABF The Soldiers’ Charity funding
their flight back to Nepal.
d. An elderly Gurkha couple who missed the Pension Service’s home visit twice, not
understanding what the interview letter they had been sent was about. Thus GWC had to
re-arrange the visit for a third time. As the couple had applied for Housing Benefit using the
wrong address (not knowing the number of their room), the council housing department found
out that someone else had already been claiming for that particular address. The department
sent letters to the couple but they failed to respond. They were completely unaware of the
complications they had caused and were desperately waiting for the Housing Benefit payment
to commence. They also applied for a free bus pass but did not know what action to take when
it failed to arrive on time. The GWC had to deal with various departments and organizations,
and their landlord, to resolve these matters - an illustration of the time-consuming work involved
for the GWC staff helping Gurkhas who are completely unable to help themselves and have no
one else to advise them.
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e.
A 70 year old retired Gurkha and his wife who came to the UK in the hope of a
smooth settlement and later to sponsor their son (over 18) who remains in Nepal. They
brought US $7,000 with them but were unable to arrange rented accommodation and basic
needs for themselves. The couple was given temporary shelter by a Gurkha lady who took pity
on them. They approached the GWC Aldershot for the full range of assistance (i.e. housing,
statutory benefits and other financial support). The council housing department arranged
rented accommodation for them, but they did not know how to operate the electrical and gas
appliances installed there. In essence, they needed almost round the clock assistance to cope
with daily life. Then, tragedy struck when the husband suffered a severe stroke and died in
hospital, leaving his wife on her own and in deep shock.
f.
A retired Rifleman, married but unaccompanied, in his sixties, borrowed approx
£3000 from a bank in Nepal. He paid an ex-service organization approx £2300 to apply for
ILE for three members of the family (including the ‘administration fee’ of £500+). He came to
UK (with £600) to stay with a fellow Gurkha who had assured him that he would provide food
and shelter initially, but in the event was unable to do so. He ended up sleeping in the corridor
of another Gurkha’s house in Reading. Temporary rented accommodation then arranged in
Farnborough.
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