Markopolobackintheuk

I am in the UK on a Partner Visa, and about to apply online to extend for the 2nd half of my 5 years. We originally applied from the USA on cash savings route. It all seemed straight forward.

But now in the UK, my wife gets Carer's Allowance, and when filling in the online application once I tick the box confirming my wife gets Carer's Allowance in the finance section it only asks for details of any other public funds (we get no others), housing costs, and a box for other income. I do get a small monthly private pension from my old UK employer (I am not old enough for state pension yet). Do I put that in the other income box?

Finally, there is nowhere asking about cash savings. Should I put that in the Other Income box too? I don't think the £69 per week Carers Allowance and £50 per week pension alone will be enough to meet the Adequate Maintenance amount so I feel I need to include cash savings somehow.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

calman014

Check this out: https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/eligibility
Be very careful about claiming carer's allowance unless you have a really low income.

You haven't really explained much here but how can you be living in UK with an income of £50 per week?

Markopolobackintheuk

My wife (UK born citizen), gets Carer's Allowance for looking after her elderly auntie. The online form asks if my partner receives any of the following (one answer being Carer's Allowance), so I can't really answer no, can I? Besides, my bank statements to prove savings, pension, etc clearly show Carers Allowance payments. I would think answering no would be worse than admitting that she receives it?

We made a fair amount from selling our property in America, and pretty much live off savings and interest.

We could meet the £62,500 cash savings total, but feel that we should answer honestly about carers allowance - which then doesn't give any option to include cash savings or pension income (although my pension is only £50 per week).

SanDiegogirl

If you want to apply using savings, then you most certainly CAN say NO to the question do you receive carer's allowance. This is because you are using savings to apply and not your benefits.

IF you go down the carer's allowance route then you include your savings AND the pension under other income.

Read the following document carefully. Applying using benefits can be difficult:

https://assets.publishing.service.go...ommodation.pdf

calman014

In general savings are not included as the carer's allowance is not means tested, but do read the small lettering and make sure your inputs are accurate.

SanDiegogirl

When applying under Adequate Maintenance you can use savings to top up to make sure you reach the threshold of Income Support as per the example in the document I linked.
Just having an income of 69.00 GBP per week for Carers Allowance will not reach this minimum.

Markopolobackintheuk

​​​​​​I realise the £69 per week is below the limit - that's why I want to include cash savings and pension, but not sure where to declare it. Can't find anything in the guidance that says where or how to do that.

Pulaski

The reality of what you have described is that while your wife receives a Carer's Allowance, that is not what you are relying on to meet the financial requirements to be allowed to remain in the UK.

The requirement is that you can prove you have adequate resources, income or savings, to be self sufficient and not reliant on government assistance. Note, you can meet this requirement without disclosing all your finances, which would be fairly common, with someone applying for FLR based on income, but not disclosing savings.

In your case it appears, from what you said, that you can qualify based on savings and don't need to disclose income.

Markopolobackintheuk

Yes, we definitely can qualify based on savings. That is pretty much what I was counting on doing.

But one of the questions on the application asks if either myself or my partner receive Carer's Allowance. And once I click yes, the next page of questions are completely different to if I were to (untruthfully) answer no.

If I say no, the next page asks specifically about cash savings, pension, etc.

If I say yes, it only asks about other benefits, housing costs, and one blank box to add other income.

So while I need to declare some cash savings (up to the qualifying amount) since I have no actual income, I also feel I must declare the Carer's Allowance (which then has no option to declare cash savings) - because if I answer untruthfully and they somehow find out, won't that be reason to refuse my extension?

SanDiegogirl

So you input your savings and any other income into that blank box: as per Page 13 example of that document I linked for you.

If you state that you receive Carer's allowance the application form immediately takes you down the route of applying under Adequate Maintenance.

If you just want to apply with your savings then you don't have to declare the Carer's allowance.

As previously mentioned Carer's allowance is not means tested (weird but it is what it is)