I Have Credit, Therefore I Am
By Leah Stickley
The boxes have been unpacked, and the house is beginning to feel familiar. The shops have been located as well as the pub. Next on the list are all the administrative tasks that go hand in hand with settling in a new place. The first couple of weeks of being in the UK have been focused on getting a landline and a mobile, getting internet at home, TV installed, notifying a change of address and getting on the electoral register.
Where to start with all these is a personal matter. For me, it makes sense to let people know you’ve changed address and then the others follow. What I’ve quickly learnt is that every company and government office needs a postcode and a house number. In the UK, this is easy to find online.
Clearly changing your address can be done before departure if you know where you are going to be living, and most of it can be done online. Whether this is done pre- or post-departure, it’s the same process, and it’s best to make all the changes in one session with a cup of tea and some biscuits as it’ll take some time. (Other libations work the same.) I pulled out my file of personal papers and just started at the top – bank, offshore savings fund, life policy, medical insurance, subscriptions and reward cards. Put on your favourite music and just do it!
Most of the changes were easy. The medical insurance company even asked me, online, if I wanted to switch to UK coverage and save some money – which I did. With the banks, I received a follow-up call to confirm that it was actually me who had made the request. The offshore investment company has taken much longer as I had to print a letter, sign it and then send a scanned copy of the signed letter back to my broker. In Shanghai, I had an office with scanners. I even had one at home. Here, no one in my immediate circle has a scanner at home. I searched the high street and asked at the Post Office. There’s no neighbourhood printer in Malvern within walking distance, and I haven’t sussed out the buses yet to go further afield. Finally, I asked my friend if he could scan it at work and send me an email. It would have been quicker to mail the letter to Shanghai!
Next up was getting connected to the world with phones, internet and TV. As I’m living in someone else’s house, he’s dealt with these matters. From his account, it was relatively easy to get these services set up; all he needed was… his postcode. What has shocked us both is the length of time we have to wait before getting these three basic services. It’s taken two weeks to get the TV set up. But wait for this… we have to wait a month to get broadband and a landline installed. UH? A far cry from the speediness of Shanghai. I’m currently using something called a pay as you go dongle to get online.
Next on my list was choosing a phone provider. Previously, I had only used pay as you go in Shanghai and the UK. Now, it was possible to get a ‘free’ phone with a 24-month agreement. Sounded good but what was the catch? Credit approval. It’s very strange being told I don’t exist in the system, and I’m learning that if I want to do anything here related to money, I have got to get myself on the electoral register. In the UK, the electoral register is the first port of call for any company offering payment deals to new customers. It’s easy to get on it by simply completing the form online, printing it out and then mailing it to the local office.
Because eventually I’d like to purchase a house somewhere (maybe the UK or maybe overseas), this experience of being persona non grata for credit has made me realise I’ve got to create a history of credit. It’s driven me to set up a regular savings account, convert my medical insurance from yearly to monthly payments and get on a monthly payment plan for the phone, even if I had to put down a refundable deposit. I’ve also applied for a store card at my favourite food shop and loyalty cards with my favourite chemist and local shop. All this is to create a history of being able to make regular payments and thus increase my credit rating. Luckily, I kept a credit card active over the past 20 years so I do have a little bit of history in my favour. Ideally, I should take out a loan to show I can repay debt. That’s an interesting idea. What do I buy?.
Filling in the form for the store card was interesting as there were some moments of ‘it depends’ when it came to answers. Am I working, unemployed or self-employed? As a self-starting kind of person, I don’t ever consider myself employed or not employed. At the moment, I’m not actively engaged in activities which generate money, so I’m not working, but I’m not unemployed either. Where’s the box that says ‘Other’? The other question which is proving difficult is ‘permanent address’. For the time being, it’s with my parents as that’s where I’ve registered for the electoral register. I’m struggling to fit myself into these boxes. Where’s the box for ‘returning British citizen with no fixed plan’?
This permanent address question leads to another matter which quite honestly I’d rather just went away: tax and tax status. The situation in China was so simple for me; I earned a salary, paid tax on that and the finance department made suggestions on how to reduce my taxes by collecting as many taxi and mobile top-up receipts as possible. There were clear guidelines on the offset limits from the tax bureau. Simple. Now, I have to decide whether I am domiciled, resident or ordinarily resident in the UK. Frankly, after living abroad for almost 20 years and paying taxes in other countries, I’m not sure anymore where my ‘home’ is. I know that I want to settle, but I don’t know where that place is geographically. Maybe my home is an airport - in between countries.
What I’m learning from these administrative experiences is that I don’t yet fit neatly into UK boxes, and it has created a slight sense of uncertainty about who I am. I know that I’m trustworthy and reliable, but none of the companies I’ve interacted with know this. Their due diligence system flashes red when my data is entered. For those of you thinking of returning to your country of origin, I strongly suggest you start getting yourself on the radar as someone who can pay back a loan and make regular payments. It’ll make life a lot smoother for when you return and want to buy a house or take out a loan.
Leah Stickley aka The Onion Peeler has made a name for herself in the learning and development industry over the last 11 years in Shanghai. Her brand – the Onion Peelers – is recognised for fun and innovative solutions to cross cultural training, team building and train the trainer programmes. Recently ICF ACTP certified as a professional coach, Leah is embarking on a new career – coaching for international assignment – including assessment, selection, expatriation and finally repatriation in one piece. For the rest of her journey home after living abroad for 20 years, click here.
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