[serendipity700]

I am in desperate need of advice. I am American and have lived here in the UK with my British husband for the last 2 years. It is coming close to time for me to apply for my permanent residency and I am facing a bit of a problem. I do not receive public funds, however my husband had and accident at work last year which has prevented him from going back to work. As a result he is living on public funds. He is on his 3rd operation now to help with the injuries that were caused by the accident. I have not been able to go to work as I have had to care for him in between operations and also care for our daughter. My question is, do you think they will still grant me leave to remain even though I am not working and my spouse is having to live on public funds?

 

[AnAmericanInScotland]

I don't know if it would make any difference, but have you looked into being registered as his carer?

I don't know much about the whole registering as the carer thing, but I should-my husband has had cancer twice and is officially 'in remission'-his consultant has already asked me if I would be willing to be his registered carer should he go out of remission. I'm not eligible for the ILR until May 2013, and I told her that. She gave me the impression that didn't matter.

Horrible things to have to think about on top of the stress of the application for ILR, I hope your husband is going to make a full recovery to good health, and that everything turns out well for your family!

 

[Joppa]

I am in desperate need of advice. I am American and have lived here in the UK with my British husband for the last 2 years. It is coming close to time for me to apply for my permanent residency and I am facing a bit of a problem. I do not receive public funds, however my husband had and accident at work last year which has prevented him from going back to work. As a result he is living on public funds. He is on his 3rd operation now to help with the injuries that were caused by the accident. I have not been able to go to work as I have had to care for him in between operations and also care for our daughter. My question is, do you think they will still grant me leave to remain even though I am not working and my spouse is having to live on public funds?

What kind of public funds is your husband receiving? The rules are that those benefits which he claims as an individual is fine and can count towards maintenance requirement (they include Statutory Sick Pay, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit etc), and only those he claims as a couple will not be admissible. The latter includes tax credits. Any money you receive for your daughter - presumably dual national - such as child benefit is also ok. In other words, getting public funds is fine (because you personally aren't claimig) but not all the payments can be included towards meeting your maintenance requirement. It's £165.56 a week after paying for housing costs (rent/mortgage and council tax) for a family of three. You can include savings and any help you get from third party such as his family in UK.

 

[serendipity700]

Thank you for your replies. I will look into your suggestions and see what I can do. I have rang up every number I can find to get advice from the home office and everything is automated.

 

[AnAmericanInScotland]

If you look into being registered as his carer (which might help as making you an essential partner in health care and recovery), be very careful about accepting the carer allowance. I read something on the carer website that mentions receiving the allowance may affect your application for ILR.

Homepage | Carers UK

Click around, there is a lot of good information, and a forum.

 

[teuchter]

If you look into being registered as his carer (which might help as making you an essential partner in health care and recovery), be very careful about accepting the carer allowance. I read something on the carer website that mentions receiving the allowance may affect your application for ILR.

Homepage | Carers UK

Click around, there is a lot of good information, and a forum.

According to this site: Carer's Allowance - eligibility : Directgov - Money, tax and benefits (quote) "You cannot get Carer's Allowance if your right to reside or remain in the United Kingdom is subject to limitation or restriction by the Home Office.", so the OP would be ineligible as she has yet to secure ILR.

teuchter

 

[AnAmericanInScotland]

According to this site: Carer's Allowance - eligibility : Directgov - Money, tax and benefits (quote) "You cannot get Carer's Allowance if your right to reside or remain in the United Kingdom is subject to limitation or restriction by the Home Office.", so the OP would be ineligible as she has yet to secure ILR.

teuchter

I saw that. I also saw on the carer support site that it has happened that people who register sometimes accidentally (not sure how that happens) receive the allowance, so I thought I'd make a point of mentioning it.

My husband is doing great, and we have every hope of the cancer never recurring but we went through a scare last summer. His consultant brought the carer question up and seemed to think I'd be able to make my way through the paperwork without a problem, and she said something about it being a plus in my ILR application "...in case..."

It made me a bit uncomfortable because caring for a loved one is just what you do, it's a given, a no-brainer. Then I looked into it, and realised how very well put together the support system is for carers in the UK as opposed to the US.

I cared for my father back in the mid-80s and there have been few if any changes since then-carers in the US are on their own, can't really Google even now to find trained, intelligent support, and there certainly are no organisations that are otherwise easy to find beyond what little support carers can find only when the loved one goes to hospice.

I think the OP is under a tremendous amount of quadruple+ pressure just now. I know I was exhausted just caring for my dad and family which at the time included a husband, child in diapers, and a child in kindergarten. I remember thinking if only I could talk with people who understood what I was going through...

The OP is coping with all that, in a new country that is sometimes (for me any road, and I was half raised here) more confusing at times because of the juxtaposition of the commonalities and differences. And to top it off, the additional stress of the ILR process

 

[teuchter]

I saw that. I also saw on the carer support site that it has happened that people who register sometimes accidentally (not sure how that happens) receive the allowance, so I thought I'd make a point of mentioning it.

My husband is doing great, and we have every hope of the cancer never recurring but we went through a scare last summer. His consultant brought the carer question up and seemed to think I'd be able to make my way through the paperwork without a problem, and she said something about it being a plus in my ILR application "...in case..."

It made me a bit uncomfortable because caring for a loved one is just what you do, it's a given, a no-brainer. Then I looked into it, and realised how very well put together the support system is for carers in the UK as opposed to the US.

I cared for my father back in the mid-80s and there have been few if any changes since then-carers in the US are on their own, can't really Google even now to find trained, intelligent support, and there certainly are no organisations that are otherwise easy to find beyond what little support carers can find only when the loved one goes to hospice.

I think the OP is under a tremendous amount of quadruple+ pressure just now. I know I was exhausted just caring for my dad and family which at the time included a husband, child in diapers, and a child in kindergarten. I remember thinking if only I could talk with people who understood what I was going through...

The OP is coping with all that, in a new country that is sometimes (for me any road, and I was half raised here) more confusing at times because of the juxtaposition of the commonalities and differences. And to top it off, the additional stress of the ILR process

Understood - I just thought I'd point out that rule in case it inadvertently jeopardised the OP's case for ILR. I can only imagine the stress/pressure the OP is undergoing with everything else at the moment, so it would be a crappy situation to discover that you had innocently broken a rule for ILR while focussing on caring for your partner.

Glad to hear your husband is doing so well :clap2: (And you're absolutely right - caring for a loved on is a complete no-brainer.)

I have a number of good friends in the US who regularly shock me with their accounts of how 'on their own' they are as carers, and the regular uphill battles they endure to get any kind of financial support I guess by comparison, the UK system isn't half bad.

teuchter

 

[serendipity700]

I finally got a human being on the phone at the border agency today. She told me to just attach a letter stating my situation to the front of my application and that she didn't see it being too much of a problem. So big sigh of relief there. I think I will also attach some copies of my husbands hospital records to the letter just for good measure. Never can be too careful. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[AnAmericanInScotland]

I finally got a human being on the phone at the border agency today. She told me to just attach a letter stating my situation to the front of my application and that she didn't see it being too much of a problem. So big sigh of relief there. I think I will also attach some copies of my husbands hospital records to the letter just for good measure. Never can be too careful. Thanks for all the advice.

Please keep us updated!

 

[emmbritt123]

I finally got a human being on the phone at the border agency today. She told me to just attach a letter stating my situation to the front of my application and that she didn't see it being too much of a problem. So big sigh of relief there. I think I will also attach some copies of my husbands hospital records to the letter just for good measure. Never can be too careful. Thanks for all the advice.

Yes, good luck to you. I have lived in Phoenix AZ for 31 years and want to return home but am scared. Reading your postings has made me aware again of how much Britain does do for its people. I'm 60 years old now and am afraid to stay here any longer, because while America does have lots of plusses, Britain has other "plusses" that America does not. The healthcare situation is the scariest of all to me, as I have a recent illness, which was hard to treat as I don't have insurance and going through that brought home to me the seriousness of getting older!! Gosh I wish they'd just build a bridge between the country's so's we can come and go as we please!!

 

[AnAmericanInScotland]

Yes, good luck to you. I have lived in Phoenix AZ for 31 years and want to return home but am scared. Reading your postings has made me aware again of how much Britain does do for its people. I'm 60 years old now and am afraid to stay here any longer, because while America does have lots of plusses, Britain has other "plusses" that America does not. The healthcare situation is the scariest of all to me, as I have a recent illness, which was hard to treat as I don't have insurance and going through that brought home to me the seriousness of getting older!! Gosh I wish they'd just build a bridge between the country's so's we can come and go as we please!!

I've been following your thread, EmmBritt, and thinking about you as I've followed this one. I hope everything works out for you!