A MUM has revealed why her family have ditched the UK to start a “better” life in Southeast Asia.
Diana Auria, originally from Kent, gave 10 reasons why she had relocated for a sunnier life abroad with her partner and four-year-old son.
One of the main reasons why they left is her growing frustration of the quality of life in the UK.
She shared that she felt in the UK they would “charge you for breathing if they could get away with it.”
The mum said she was frustrated with “supermarkets, utility companies and many others making record profits out of the cost of living crisis”, and hailed it as “absolute corporate greed.”
According to her, a 35min train journey to London would cost her an eye-watering £40 and they barely had any disposable income left once the bills were taken care of.
“Digital nomad” Diana also said that high streets feel like “ghost towns” and are “run down, empty, dirty, and full of homeless.”
She claimed: “The government and councils are so anti small business.
“They only support the large corporations by not taxing them and their rich mates / donors. They all have tax dodging loopholes.”
Safety was another big concern, and she said she doesn’t feel comfortable “walking in any town or city in England at night.”
She added: “People literally get away with crimes here now because there isn’t any more space in the prisons and no funding for police.”
They also had issues with the UK schooling system.
Diana explained: “ The schools will fine you if you take your kids on holiday during term time. £80 per parent per day. Makes it feel more like a prison.”
She explained that homeschooling isn’t for them, as her son learns best in a group environment, so the aim is to long-term enrol him in an international school.
Meanwhile, the mum also didn’t view the UK as a great option for bringing up children in their leisure time too, previously saying: ”It’s too cold or rainy most of the year to be outside, so end up just staying indoors and watching screens.
”Not many places are kid-friendly,” said Diana, adding that days-out are also costly.
Another reason for them to leave is due to “taxes.”
She shared: “Stamp duty = a tax for buying a house. £500k house = £25,000.
“Which effectively stops the housing market from moving.
“Inheritance tax = death tax!
“This is a nuanced topic but I found out many countries don’t have this tax including Australia.”
Diana and her partner have so far been to Singapore and Malaysia this year since ditching the UK – but are still deciding on where they will base themselves long term.
Many people agreed with her in the comments, with one saying: “Hit the nail on the head, we left the UK 4 years ago for many reasons including these.”
And one chimed in: “I’ve been looking for a job in the past one year and struggling to find one… UK is so hard to live.”
However, another added: “A lot of those are ridiculous.”
A second agreed: “Don’t want to pay tax but want more police, better schools and nationalised energy companies?”
How easy is it to move abroad to the EU?
BREXIT means British citizens now have to apply for visas to move to countries within the EU. While some countries residency restrictions are easier than others, here’s what you need to do at home before moving:
- Notify HMRC about your upcoming move.
- Let your local authority know and provide a forwarding address.
- Contact your mortgage and utility providers and bank before leaving.
- If you have paid enough UK national insurance contributions, you can qualify for a state pension abroad – contact the International Pension Centre.
- You can sign up to the Royal Mail’s redirection service.
- If you have outstanding student loans, contact the Student Loans Centre.
- If you have children, give due notice to childcares and schools.
