Many of the headlines and statistics being published in Britain at the moment paint a very bleak economic picture for Britons resident in the UK. According to the Family and Parenting Institute for example, an average family with children will see real income levels fall by 4.2% over the next four years specifically because of tax increases and benefit cuts.
According to an article in the Daily Mail: “families will be £1,250 per year worse off” in coming years, and according to the GMB, Britain’s General Union, “the Government’s strategy for an economic recovery is in tatters as living standards drop.” Everywhere you look you can see evidence of how inflation is eroding income, and how tax increases and benefit cuts are affecting every sector of society to a lesser or greater extent.
Therefore, in our opinion at Shelter Offshore it’s a case of ‘now or never’ as Britons contemplating a move abroad for a better life either take the necessary steps to expatriate, or they hunker down and bed in for the long-term in a broken and virtually bankrupt Britain…
You have to look way beyond the headlines in any nation to get a feel for what life is really like. And if you’ve spent any time in the UK recently, (as many expats have over the Christmas and New Year period), you will see that the British passions for shopping and talking property have dwindled.
There is no disposable income – anything anyone has is being used to pay down debt or save for an even rainier day. The outlook is negative, people are acutely aware that prospects are few and far between. Unemployment is up, self-employment levels are up, (because people are having to create their own jobs), and at the same time the cost of absolutely everything anyone needs to live, (food, fuel etc.,) is up…
The situation is about as untenable as it can get – and there is no positive news on the horizon. David Cameron may say that he “gets it,” but someone from his privileged background living in his privileged position can only ever come close to understanding the theory of what it’s like to be living in fear. Fear of poverty, fear that this is as good as it gets, fear of losing your job, your house, your life as you know it…
We have seen a significant surge in enquiries and comments from Britons who are now deadly serious about escaping their life in the UK. From a dwindling trickle towards December, there has been an incredible spike since the clock struck midnight on the 31st of December 2011…
The sentiment is uniform and determined, and it goes something like this – to have any chance of a better life, it’s time to leave UK.
They say that yesterday, the 3rd of January, was likely to be the most depressed day of the year – but we would disagree with that comment, because among those who have found a determination to improve their life, there is a strong sentiment of positivity.
Those who are planning a move abroad are now sounding a lot more realistic about their prospects. We have had far fewer ‘off to live the dream’ type enquiries, and many more ‘we’re going to give it our best shot’ type as Britons realise the grass is only greener if you apply yourself!
Better weather and a better work life balance will certainly improve emotional wellbeing, but the majority of enquiries we’ve received have been from Brits aware that they need to secure an income and a home abroad in order to come close to enjoying these additional benefits.
If you’re thinking about escaping the UK please get in touch, we’d love to hear your plans and follow your progress. You’ll find a wealth of information and practical resources on this website, and we’ll be happy to help you in any way we can by pointing you in the right direction for information and support.
You can find an improved lot abroad, as long as you’re aware that it will require hard work and determination. But at least you’ll also know you won’t have to bear the burden of Britain’s massively underestimated debt when you relocate, so you will be far freer to make your own fortunes abroad.