Doctors, Voting and Mail?

[Wardy]

How do live-aboards cope if they haven't got a permanent address. ie They're permanent cruisers?

I'm thinking of things like Council Tax (spits in corner), Doctors, Election stuff (your chance to vote), mail sevices in general.

I can see the advantage of never being contactable, but there are certain things I feel we'll still need, especially as we intend to stay around the British coastline for the forseeable future.

Cheers

Steve

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[snowleopard]

the council tax extorters have yet to find a way of taxing liveaboards, except perhaps inland houseboats.

you can visit a doctor as a visitor as you might when on holiday away from home in the UK.

you could register for a postal vote but you'd need an address, perhaps of a relative.

quite a lot of things become tricky without a mailing address, for example getting credit, i.e. cards, mobile phones etc.

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[moodycruiser]

We live aboard in a marina and we have registered ourselves with doctors, dentists, driving licence, radio licence, SSR certificate etc etc without any problem. Credit cards and bank accounts all transferred to our boat name, marina name, street name, post code address., acceptable as it is our permanent UK address.
Many a smile and comment when we were doing it, but we just kept telling them we were getting ready for the floods !!
What happens if you are moving around is another matter, and you really need a postal address ashore then.

<hr width=100% size=1>Tony

 

[Abigail]

Hi - we also find the marina address works well, including for Companies House (who were the stickiest). I believe you are not liable for Council Tax as a moving yacht (though you are if eg you are a houseboat with a permanent mooring to which post is directly delivered.) You do need a permanent address to vote (ie homeless people and nomads are disenfranchised essentially.) Voter registration is usually mid-October each year so that's when you need to get that sorted out, although of course you can re-register at any time of the year by a direct approach to the relevant Council. If you do this you can get a full registration with doctor and dentist, which is useful both if you have any long term medical needs, and for advice etc as you prepare to leave UK.

If you then take off for months at a time you are of course uncontactable, but that would be true if you left a house etc.

If you are going to use a marina address check with them they offer that - not all of them do.

The other choice is something like ship to shore, which is a mailing organisation specialising in sailors, or all the other PO box type services. We are still investigating these, as they are not cheap. Advice we've seen suggests using a proper service though rather than relying on the (long-term, quite onerous) expectations of relatives and friends. I don't see any problem with those except for Companies House (if you are set up as a company) who insiist on an address at which (they believe) they can find you.


Email solves a lot we find, but is not yet accepted as a permanent residence unfortunately.




<hr width=100% size=1>Sarah & Pip

www.greatlittleboats.com
UK & Ireland distributors of Swifgig

 

[Cheeky Girl]

Child Allowance

Sorry to add another bit to the post Steve.

When we do go away for about 2 years will we still be able to claim child allowance as this is paid direct into our bank.

Graham

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[Abigail]

Not sure about benefit as you would probably find it is dependent on being domiciled or resident in the UK, though if you have a clear intention to return in some specified time (probably rather less than than 2 years!) it may be included.

I would suggest approaching a benefits advice agency in your area in very good time and asking their opinion. Clearly, this might be a reason to retain a registered UK address (preferably in the benefits area which already has you on their books) and you might need time to organise it, even if other tax issues are a reason not to be domiciled here.

BTW - on the benefits side, a pal claimed Housing Benefit on her moorings and the council decided she was eligible to pay Council Tax. In her case (engineless motor boat) they probably had a good case, and in any case she declined to make the fight. But, in principle you can claim HB on moorings, but it is a nightmare, and it might be simpler/easier etc to try and raise that money by some form of employment!

I am absolutely not an expert adviser in tax or benefits, so please don't take this as gospel ...

<hr width=100% size=1>Sarah & Pip

www.greatlittleboats.com
UK & Ireland distributors of Swifgig

 

[RPC]

Check out the following link for information re mail forwarding for cruising yachts

Have you visited the Blue Water Cruising Site <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.onpassage.com>http://www.onpassage.com ?

 

[jeanne]

If you are leaving the country, moving about, and want mail to catch up with you, it is essential to have a U.K. address, where some one can weed out the junk , and hold the rest until you send a forwarding address [ by phone, ham radio, email, or whatever]. Then you only need to look for one bulky envelope, and you know that when you find it, you can move on if you want to.
If you go to a non English speaking country, and use 'post restante', the envelope must only have your surname. A letter to 'Mr. John Smith, Yacht Hopeful' may otherwise be filed under M, J, S, Y, or H! I have been in a Post office , with someone telling me that I have no mail, when I could see the familiar envelope, misfiled!

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