Full-timing

[John H]

I agree very much with Pollik's point about society being suspicious of people who wany to be different - in my view it is intolerance of difference that is the root of most of the world's problems, but that is another story!

I can also understand why you might be concerned, caspar, about home education and all I can say is that on our travels we have met many families in motorhomes, caravans, canal boats and yachts (and one in a land rover aiming to overland it to the Pacific!) who have been home-educating their children and in all cases they seemed to be well-balanced and socially adept children.

And now a question - for John T - how do you get over the things for which you need to prove residence? For example, the point that was made earlier about your insurers wanting the right to inspect your vehicle at your home address in the event of a claim and the fact that if you cannot SHOW a permanent residence in the UK then your state pension could be frozen at its present level (ie you would not be entitled to the annual increase). I know it is unlikely that anyone will question your address but I always like to prepare for the worst possible case and then I never get taken by surprise!

All the best
John

 

[Deleted member 967]

And now a question - for John T - how do you get over the things for which you need to prove residence? For example, the point that was made earlier about your insurers wanting the right to inspect your vehicle at your home address in the event of a claim and the fact that if you cannot SHOW a permanent residence in the UK then your state pension could be frozen at its present level (ie you would not be entitled to the annual increase). I know it is unlikely that anyone will question your address but I always like to prepare for the worst possible case and then I never get taken by surprise!

All the best
John

Hi John

We are insured by Comfort paying the full timing premium and by doing so they do not require a UK residence only a contact address.

Long Term Touring & Full Timing
13. This policy is subject to the following conditions:
Policyholders must maintain a full UK residence, either through ownership or long term rental agreement
(of at least 9 months) unless a full-timing rate has been agreed and paid.
The address shown on the Schedule must be the one at which the policyholder is on the electoral roll,
(unless a full-timing rate has been agreed and paid) and also the one that appears on the driving licence
and vehicle documentation.
The motor caravan must at all times have a valid MOT certificate (unless not required due to age of the
vehicle) and current UK road fund licence & tax disc.
Should a copy of a utility bill (as evidence of residence at the address) be requested at any time
(inception, mid-term, renewal, in the event of a claim) then one must be provided.

As for the insurers wanting the right to inspect your vehicle at your home address. I have just re-read the Horizon policy booklet and there is no reference to this that I can see. We are covered for not having a UK residence by paying the full timing premium.

With regard to pensions we contacted them and informed them that we were giving up our home and going full time in the motorhome. They told us they only needed a UK contact address and our payments would continue to be paid into our bank. Our bank and credit card companies are fully aware of our status and we have no problems with them. As regards to pensions being frozen this applies if you perminently move abroard. It does not apply if you are living some of the year in the UK, even if you are moving about. We continue to get pension increments and winter fuel allowance.

We have never tried to hide our status and even completed the 2011 census giving our motorhome registration number, Make and Model as our address. We also provided our contact address for them to send the form to. We stated that we were in Spain on census date and sent the form in at the end if May.

If you are honest about your status and are not trying to hide, I seen no problems with our way of life.

 

[John H]

If you are honest about your status and are not trying to hide, I seen no problems with our way of life.

Thanks for that very interesting and informative reply, John. Does it also apply to getting over the problem of not having an address for purposes of taxing the vehicle or for applying for a driving licence or passport? In other words, does coming clean entitle you to all the benefits of being a house-dweller?

 

[MartianTom]

Whew!!

Crikey.... thanks, everyone, for your input. Most appreciated.

Caspar - I hear you, and I really must pay my dues. Thanks for your offer of help. I may well be in touch soon. I was at a low point the other night - we all get 'em - and just thought 'Sod it... I need to escape from this.'

On a more practical level, I've decided to take a test run next year. I won't be surrendering my address - just taking off for a few months. I'm still not entirely sure where. Europe is an obvious choice as I'm right on its doorstep. But the US is also beckoning again. I intend to use it as the hook for a book I want to write. I've been writing for years - fiction, mainly - but this will be a travel book. I've been writing up the journal from my recent two-week trip to East Anglia. I'm only two days in, and it's already shaping up to be an extensive work - so a much longer trip will hopefully spawn something substantial! It's as much an 'inner' journey as a geographical one - which, to my mind, is what the best travel writing is about. My re-reading of Jonathan Raban, William Least Heat-Moon, Steinbeck, etc. is providing further impetus. When this journal is finished, I'm going to try to get an agent, publisher or newspaper interested. Maybe I'll wangle an advance to get me on my way!

The underlying problem is that society generally does not like people being or doing different.

...which is one of the reasons that I do not like society generally!

Thanks for that very interesting and informative reply, John.

I'll second that.

 

[Deleted member 967]

Thanks for that very interesting and informative reply, John. Does it also apply to getting over the problem of not having an address for purposes of taxing the vehicle or for applying for a driving licence or passport? In other words, does coming clean entitle you to all the benefits of being a house-dweller?

Hi John

Yes it does. Our vehicles and licences are under our daughters address, as are our Sky subscriptions and TV licence. The TV licence has the vehicle registration number recorded on it and in their records. We have passports they do not show an address, just that you are a resident of the United Kingdom.

DVLA require a contact address. Only limited companies can use a box number. The address does not have to be your residence, but must be an address where you can be contacted through easily if necessary. That is why the continuous cruisers have it set up so that letters can be opened, scanned and emailed. If an email reply is then sent to them, they copy it to paper and post it for the continuous cruiser. This was set up by ex-Post Office employees.

We need to return to the UK at least once per year for MOTs. As it is the car and the motorhome are offset by 6 months so that is twice we have to be in the UK if only for a day each time for the tests. Our car MOT expired as we were leaving Spain early this year, but as it was on the trailer it made no difference, as it was taken to the MOT station on the trailer when we got home. Technically if a vehicle brought into the country does not have an MOT, it cannot be driven to the MOT station even with an appointment. It has to be towed or transported.

Our insurance is for 365 days in Europe or other country on the list and is marked as Full Timing. It is not cheap, but it gives us peace of mind knowing that if anything did happen, they would not be trying to uses our status, as a loophole not to pay out.

We informed our doctor and he agreed not to remove us from his records. We have 6 monthly check ups (going for one this week) and he is happy to prescribe for 6 months if we require it. You currently need an address within the practice area, so we use a nephews address for this. The doctor said last November that going to Spain for the winter, would be benificial for my health and he was proved correct. Not all doctors however have this enlightened attitude and they stick by NHS guidelines as if they were written in stone, instead of being guidance.

In the UK we use CC & C&CC 5 van sites mainly, but also have use of a private naturist club site in the south lakes, at which stays are unlimited. We stayed at a pub in the motorhome for a couple of nights this week while getting our gas tank sorted at Autogas 2000.

Last autumn we went to Hadstone (Duridge Bay) and were moved on by a council employee. I reported this to Chris and it was left on the database, but he has now removed sites in this area, after others have been moved this week (see other posts on this forum by Maingate). We do not find wilding to be and less expensive in the UK, than using 5 van sites and we have piece of mind and no problems of getting water or disposing of waste. Abroard we use Aires and Municipal sites. Last winter we stayed on one site in Spain at 12.90 Euro per night (long term rate) inclusive of EHU.

 

[Pollik]

The TV licence has the vehicle registration number recorded on it and in their records.

I didn't know that could be done.

Technically if a vehicle brought into the country does not have an MOT, it cannot be driven to the MOT station even with an appointment. It has to be towed or transported.

I didn't know that, either. I can understand that they might want it to be transported, but allowing it to be towed seems a bit illogical.



Polly

 

[John H]

Well, John, I don't know how you've done it but you seem to have got several different organisations to accept what is basically a letter drop in place of a residence. You should write a book explaining in detail how others can do the same because the published rules for many of those things listed state that you must reside at the given address. I have never pushed this because I was always taught never to ask a question to which you did not want to know the answer! You have had the courage to ask the questions and it has worked for you. Well done and get writing! :cheers: