Public Funds

Hello lovely group! I’ve been helping my MIL fill out her Spouse Visa as they’re moving back in the spring. She came across the question on the online application where it asked if she had ever received public funds. Back in the 1980’s she and my FIL lived here in the UK and their two sons were born here. She said that they would have claimed child benefits at that time, but she has no idea when that would have been or how much. What is your best advice on what to do for that question? Thank you all!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hello lovely group! I’ve been helping my MIL fill out her Spouse Visa as they’re moving back in the spring. She came across the question on the online application where it asked if she had ever received public funds. Back in the 1980’s she and my FIL lived here in the UK and their two sons were born here. She said that they would have claimed child benefits at that time, but she has no idea when that would have been or how much. What is your best advice on what to do for that question? Thank you all!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I suspect the immigration rules were VERY different in the 80's than they are now.  Currently a non-UK citizen is NOT able to claim child benefit but the UK citizen CAN claim on behalf of the children.

On the application, I would simply state what you've stated here "child benefit claimed in the 80's for xxx children".  I cannot imagine this being a problem for the application.  Members of the forum who were living in the UK back then basically just asked for an ILR stamp and got one.  LOL  Very different immigration world to the one we live in now!

I suspect the immigration rules were VERY different in the 80's than they are now.  Currently a non-UK citizen is NOT able to claim child benefit but the UK citizen CAN claim on behalf of the children.

On the application, I would simply state what you've stated here "child benefit claimed in the 80's for xxx children".  I cannot imagine this being a problem for the application.  Members of the forum who were living in the UK back then basically just asked for an ILR stamp and got one.  LOL  Very different immigration world to the one we live in now!

Thank you! And yes, SO different! She said they literally walked into the embassy and were able to get her a spouse visa same day and then hop on the airplane to the UK a bit crazy to today’s hoopla!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you! And yes, SO different! She said they literally walked into the embassy and were able to get her a spouse visa same day and then hop on the airplane to the UK a bit crazy to today’s hoopla!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yup. I didn’t even have to make an appointment at the Consulate General in Houston as they took walk-ins. In fact, on this day, November 20, 1995, I walked into that office with my fiancé visa application, the fiancé’s bank statements, a letter from his employer about his job, a letter from the landlord giving me and my three-year-old permission to live in his house, a letter from my ex husband giving his permission to allow me to take his son abroad and a few letters and photographs and I got my visa vignette in my passport within half an hour. I arrived in the UK on November 30th only because I had to give notice at my job otherwise I would have left on the BA flight that afternoon at 3:30pm.

I had three kids whilst I lived in England but it was my husband that got child benefit for my kids. I know that my husband had to explain why HE had to apply for it and only my two UK-born children got the benefit.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk