Should we move from Portugal to Malta

We are a family of five, we recently moved to Portugal from the UK.  We have been in Portugal for the last 6 months and are finding it quite difficult - work wise, expensive etc.

So now we are considering a move to Malta.

We would be very grateful if you could answer a few questions which we have:

Do you need the maltese language to gain employment.
The kind of work that we would be interested in, office/secretarial & painting and decorating or even self employed, as I was in the UK.

Do we need permits or residency or fiscal numbers for work, we are British citizens.

Is there an NHS system to see a doctor, if not what are the costs.

I have a 5 year old, what are the state schools like, do they speak english or maltese.

Would it be best to take our car or buy a car in Malta.

These are a few questions we have for now and look forward to your replies.

Hi and welcome to the blog.

It seems that life is getting difficult everywhere.I don't know Portugal but I think it might be just as difficult to get/start work here in Malta at the moment.
The average income is rather low,prices are high and many jobs do require speaking Maltese.I would think this applies all the more so if you want to set up your own business which you can do as you are from the UK.
For EU nationals a work permit is still required but is granted automatically when an employer applies for a work permit for you.
As EU citizens you can come and go freely but you would have to apply for ' official' residency under one of the categories.Having a work permit would allow you to apply for residency or being economically self-efficient also.Basically you need to show that you can support yourself and your family without a risk for the state.
When you work in Malta you pay into and are  entitled to the free NHS in Malta.Otherwise you need private health insurance although there are a few extra options for UK citizens.
Read the schooling discussion for inside info's on the Maltese school system.
Regards
Ricky