Cyprus-Forum.com

[Clare26]

Hi all

I am a widow with two young boys. I'm originally from the UK but currently living in Kenya where I have spent most of my life. I cannot afford to stay here anymore as it is impossible to find employment. I have just come back from Limassol where I was offered a pa/secretarial job with a salary of CYP700 per month. Having spent many happy holidays in Cyprus over the years I would love to move there permanently but will I be able to survive on this salary? Unfortunately we have next to no savings for rainy days. My boys and I will need to rent a house with a small garden as we have a dog who I can't bring myself to leave behind. I plan to send the boys to a local school as I think they are still young enough to pick up the language, and above all I know I wouldn't be able to afford private schooling.

My only other alternative would be to go back to the UK, but on what I would be able to earn as a secretary I get the impression life would be beyond dismal for us.

I appreciate your honest replies.

Clare

[Beth_Josephine]

Unfortunately the rent for a 3 bedroom, with a garden would be amin of 300 cyp a month. 700 cyp wouldn't be enough to support you, 2 children and a dog. However, you could give it a try, I do know a few people who just about get by.

[raymanuva]

Hi Clare, in Cyprus 700CYP salary for a woman is pretty OK,
But bare in mind that properties in LImassol are very expensive to rent.
U can get an old house somewhere in the suburbs for 200 CYP if you lucky.
100 - Electricity/phone per month, I guess you will need a car or something.
I think its a bit difficult... but u can survive somehow.

[tessintrnc]

Claire - why don't you see if you claim family allowance from the Uk? Don't forget that Cyprus is in the EU, you never know..........
Good luck
Tess
ps I really would prefer to raise my children outside the UK!!!

[PARAMED]

If you have been an ex pat for so long and not paid into any pensions or national insurance etc, doubt very much if you will be entitled to payments from OK.

Write down ALL your income and then deduct what you need to live, it will be very tight, but can be done.

UK is very expensive so that may not be of use, unless of course you live of state benefits.

[Bill]

Personally I would say you will probably have more success moving to Cyprus than returning to the UK.

As you haven't paid into the UK system you may or may not get help from the UK government if you return there but you will still only just survive even with the benefits and you are right life would be pretty dismal for you and more important your boys ~ better to be in Cyprus and just survive there too as your quality of life will be better.

You don't say how old your boys are ~ you obviously realise the older they are the more difficult it will be for them to learn the language and adjust to their new life .

£700 a month is a good wage in Cyprus ~~ a lot of young families I know are earning the same or less than that and seem to be ok .

I would get a cast iron guarantee that you have the job before you move as Cypriots are often free with promises that often don't materialise and good paying jobs at £700 a month are very hard to find.

I would say go for it and if it doesn't work then return to the UK .

If you were moving from the UK to Cyprus I would probably advise differently but in your circumstances I think trying to make a life in Cyprus is a good idea .

A cheap to rent two bed flat is ok to start you off as the two boys can share a bedroom whilst they are younger and you can always move once you become established .

I have a Cypriot friend that manages on a salary of £600 a month with out any problems ~ she has a 16 year old daughter still at school and I would imagine that her girl would cost more to keep than your two boys.

Go for it Clare ~~ you will have a better standard of living in Cyprus compared to the UK even with what initially looks a low salary .

I don't know if you have been following recent news events in the UK but I would say that the UK is not really a place I would move to with young children ~ Cyprus is still relatively safe and you can let them out to play without to many worries .

Bill

[Clare26]

Thanks to everyone for your replies - I can't tell you how much of a help it's been! I'm going to have to have a really big think about it, but unfortunately I don't have much time as they want me to start work at the beginning of November - I think (hope!) the job is secure as it's with a reputable UK company based in Limassol and I got the job through a good agency.

I'm making inquiries to see if I would be eligible for any child support etc living in Cyprus, but from all the research I've done so far it doesn't look likely. Unfortunately we never kept up any national insurance payments when we left the UK.

Fortunately the boys are still young - 5 and 7 so they should integrate well and will hopefully pick up the language fairly quickly. I'm still not entirely sure if I'm doing the right thing but I do feel, and you have helped confirm this, that our standard of living (whilst it will be a struggle) will be higher in Cyprus than the UK. I'm finding it difficult to get a rough idea of the cost of monthly bills in Cyprus, but I've been doing the sums for the UK and with what I'd be able to earn once the rent had been paid there would be next to nothing left to cover the bills let alone anything else. I really worry about bringing my boys up on a low income in the UK - not least because on a low income I dread to think where we would end up having to live, and (at the risk of sounding like a total snob!) the type of people we would be living amongst. That is just not the life I dreamed of for them. I've been following the English news, tv, etc on satellite over the last few years, and before going to Cyprus I spent a week there having a good look around. I went to view a couple of houses whilst I was there and the idea of my two innocent boys getting mixed up with some of the characters I saw hanging around the streets sent shivers down my spine. I think the UK can offer a fantastic life for those on high incomes, but for those who aren't life just didn't look too appealing.

I hope I'm not being too idealistic and too much of a dreamer, and too unrealistic but I want a better life for us. As long as we can make ends meet I'm hoping that struggling along in Cyprus will offer the boys a better life and future than struggling in the UK.

Clare

[kafenes]

Thanks to everyone for your replies - I can't tell you how much of a help it's been! I'm going to have to have a really big think about it, but unfortunately I don't have much time as they want me to start work at the beginning of November - I think (hope!) the job is secure as it's with a reputable UK company based in Limassol and I got the job through a good agency.

I'm making inquiries to see if I would be eligible for any child support etc living in Cyprus, but from all the research I've done so far it doesn't look likely. Unfortunately we never kept up any national insurance payments when we left the UK.

Fortunately the boys are still young - 5 and 7 so they should integrate well and will hopefully pick up the language fairly quickly. I'm still not entirely sure if I'm doing the right thing but I do feel, and you have helped confirm this, that our standard of living (whilst it will be a struggle) will be higher in Cyprus than the UK. I'm finding it difficult to get a rough idea of the cost of monthly bills in Cyprus, but I've been doing the sums for the UK and with what I'd be able to earn once the rent had been paid there would be next to nothing left to cover the bills let alone anything else. I really worry about bringing my boys up on a low income in the UK - not least because on a low income I dread to think where we would end up having to live, and (at the risk of sounding like a total snob!) the type of people we would be living amongst. That is just not the life I dreamed of for them. I've been following the English news, tv, etc on satellite over the last few years, and before going to Cyprus I spent a week there having a good look around. I went to view a couple of houses whilst I was there and the idea of my two innocent boys getting mixed up with some of the characters I saw hanging around the streets sent shivers down my spine. I think the UK can offer a fantastic life for those on high incomes, but for those who aren't life just didn't look too appealing.

I hope I'm not being too idealistic and too much of a dreamer, and too unrealistic but I want a better life for us. As long as we can make ends meet I'm hoping that struggling along in Cyprus will offer the boys a better life and future than struggling in the UK.

Clare

Clare, from what I figure you must be pretty young, and with a secretarial job you might even find some part time evening work on weekend etc. and you never know you might even meet someone and get married again. With a partner sharing costs, life will become much easier. Good luck.

[tessintrnc]

Don't give up on checking out family allowance, this is a benefit that doesn't rely on past Nat Ins payments etc. It is available to anyone with children, see if, as a UK citizen you can have the benefits transferred abroad, or even to a UK bank and get a bank card! I think you should give Cyprus a go Clare, after all you can always go to the Uk as a last resort if things don't work out! Best of luck
Tess

[PARAMED]

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeo ... G_10012424

Try this link, may be of use