Getting married in september but he will still be living in the USA

mariecooper_3

Hi everyone,
Im hoping someone can shed some light on my situation as the Benefits office and indeed the job centre just keep pushing me from pillar to post. I am a single mum (27 years young) with two children aged 10 and 7. Their father isn't on the scene and due to health problems at the moment i am unable to work. As such I am on ESA (or should be if the job centre hurry up and sort it all out) but still looking for work all the time. With no luck. I've known my boyfriend for 6 years and we have been a couple for 5 years, with him visiting for a month each year. Which is financially draining and emotionally. We no longer want to be apart but due to our situation we seem to be stuck. He work's part time, but at the moment he lives with his parents in the US, and me with mine and my kids in the UK. After tax, we have worked out that he gets paid a little over £300 in english money a month which can barely support him let alone me and my children also. Does anyone have any advice or detailed help on if i can still claim single parent as he will still be living in the US for at least another 2 years and me in the UK also. If we will be taken off benefits completely, we will have to cancel our wedding which has taken over three years of scrimping and saving and clawing at every available penny to pay for the plane ticket and spending money. Ive rang the benefits office numerous amounts of times (and to an 0845 number its been costing me a fortune) and every person I speak to gives me a different answer. Im so confused, upset, i don't know what to do for the best. We want to be a family and it seems its not only ocean's that keeps us apart but our governments too

I would be grateful for any advice, Thank you.

Added note. I have rang the benefits office and told them everything as I want to be straight and not deceive anyone. Im a honest and good person trying hard to be a mum, look for work and trying to keep everything else together.

Thank you, in advance for your time.

zippy1969

mariecooper wrote: »

Hi everyone,
Im hoping someone can shed some light on my situation as the Benefits office and indeed the job centre just keep pushing me from pillar to post. I am a single mum (27 years young) with two children aged 10 and 7. Their father isn't on the scene and due to health problems at the moment i am unable to work. As such I am on ESA (or should be if the job centre hurry up and sort it all out) but still looking for work all the time. With no luck. I've known my boyfriend for 6 years and we have been a couple for 5 years, with him visiting for a month each year. Which is financially draining and emotionally. We no longer want to be apart but due to our situation we seem to be stuck. He work's part time, but at the moment he lives with his parents in the US, and me with mine and my kids in the UK. After tax, we have worked out that he gets paid a little over £300 in english money a month which can barely support him let alone me and my children also. Does anyone have any advice or detailed help on if i can still claim single parent as he will still be living in the US for at least another 2 years and me in the UK also. If we will be taken off benefits completely, we will have to cancel our wedding which has taken over three years of scrimping and saving and clawing at every available penny to pay for the plane ticket and spending money. Ive rang the benefits office numerous amounts of times (and to an 0845 number its been costing me a fortune) and every person I speak to gives me a different answer. Im so confused, upset, i don't know what to do for the best. We want to be a family and it seems its not only ocean's that keeps us apart but our governments too

I would be grateful for any advice, Thank you.

Added note. I have rang the benefits office and told them everything as I want to be straight and not deceive anyone. Im a honest and good person trying hard to be a mum, look for work and trying to keep everything else together.

Thank you, in advance for your time.

I can't help you with your main query.

However, I can save you some money. Here is a landline number for the DWP, use it instead of the 0845 number: 01942626001.

If you are looking for work, as you have mentioned, you should really be claiming JSA...so just be careful what you say to DWP.

Good luck.

EmmaHerts

Just a caution...


http://www.usembassy.org.uk/americanservices/?p=288

[Deleted User]

OP you say you are unable to work,but looking for work,if you are claiming esa that because you are too ill to work.so which is it?

cod3

When I married a foreign national, he was granted a spousal visa on the condition that we would have to be self-supporting and not claim any benefits. That was many years ago, but probably still applies.

Icequeen99

For tax credits, you will be treated as a single person even if you are married because your partner is not in the UK (and he is outside of the EU). To claim as a couple for tax credits you have to be present and ordinarily resident in the UK and he isn't, so that won't be an issue.

I'm not entirely sure on the DWP rules for ESA.

IQ

PoorCharleyBear

and the rules about getting a visa for a foreign spouse changed in July. You have to be earning 18k pa (?) to support them, and more if there are children.

So you may be able to get married but will not be able to bring him over to UK anytime soon.

claire16c

PoorCharleyBear wrote: »

and the rules about getting a visa for a foreign spouse changed in July. You have to be earning 18k pa (?) to support them, and more if there are children.

So you may be able to get married but will not be able to bring him over to UK anytime soon.

Yep. There are similar rules for the US. I dont think its as much though. But not sure £300 would cut it!


OP - do you not get CSA payments?

mariecooper_3

zippy1969 wrote: »

I can't help you with your main query.

However, I can save you some money. Here is a landline number for the DWP, use it instead of the 0845 number: 01942626001.

If you are looking for work, as you have mentioned, you should really be claiming JSA...so just be careful what you say to DWP.

Good luck.

Thank you, Ive wrote it down and will defiantly ring them first thing tomorrow

mariecooper_3

EmmaHerts wrote: »

Just a caution...

Thank you, Ive rang the us embassy in london quite a few times, another costly thing. Thanks again

mariecooper_3

woodbine wrote: »

OP you say you are unable to work,but looking for work,if you are claiming esa that because you are too ill to work.so which is it?

Hi, Im classed as unfit to work by my doctor for the next two months. I didn't want to be signed off but due to my conditions he feels its necessary at the moment. Ive still been looking for work though. I need to work, its a must, can't afford to not to, to be honest.