Income Guidelines for Marriage Settlement Visa?

Hello!  I will be receiving child benefits from Social Security in the US until my child turns age 18.  We both will be living in the UK of course this year.  I receive 1,138 in US dollars per month for my child.

Would this be enough income support to meet the income requirements in the UK on my Marriage Settlement Visa?

(My fiancee is on UK public funds and disability benefit). There will be me, my fiancee and child in the home.

Thanks for any advice.

The Maintenance requirement is £102.75/wk per couple & £57.57/wk per child after the payment rent/mortgage & council tax.

You will need to get a letter from Social Security that the payments will continue once you leave the US or they may not accept it as funds that can be used toward the maintenance requirement. Also if you have any funds in savings those can be used toward the requirement as well.

You can see the Maintenance & Accommodation guide used by the ECO's when processing applications here: http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/ecg/maintenanceaccommodation

Thank you very much.  Actually I just received from Social Security letters stating that I will receive my income till the month I marry and my child till she turns 18.  Also have my award letters stating the same amounts that we will receive while there.  Thanks for posting that guideline for income, now I know.

One question though, do they consider my fiancee's income as well together with mine in determining we meet the requirements?  He already has met the accommodation requirements by having a rented house and already pays council tax, and gas, an electric and such without my income.

Karen

One question though, do they consider my fiancee's income as well together with mine in determining we meet the requirements?  He already has met the accommodation requirements by having a rented house and already pays council tax, and gas, an electric and such without my income.

Actually, your fiance's income is usually the most important and your income would normally only be relevant if you can't meet the requirements using his money only (i.e. you can top up his income with your savings/SS payments so that you meet the requirements). It's his bank statements and payslips that you must include for the application, rather than yours (although you can include yours too, if you will be using your money for the application as well).

In general, any income that the US citizen receives/earns in the US will stop once they move to the UK (i.e. they would leave their US job in order to move), so the couple will normally be relying almost entirely on the UK citizen's income because the UKC is the one with the steady job/income and life already set up in the UK. If you have the SS payments coming in too, that's great, but they will probably look at your fiance's financial situation first, before considering yours.

He only receives public funds and disability allowance, so public funds there in the UK. Since he's on that, I'm hoping my widow and child benefits will be enough.  From what I did with the currency converter, it is for the guidelines.  Keeping my fingers crossed.

Thanks for the advice.

Here is a 'guide' thread for benefits (US & UK).

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=65946.0

Also - it sounds like you might be in receipt of survivor benefits. If this is the case, be aware that your benefit will be taxed as income in the UK - as will the benefit your child receives. You will have to pay it yourself on self assessment. The fact that this is a non-taxable benefit in the USA will be irrelevent.

Be aware that although you are custodian of your child's SS benefits (it gets paid into your account and you decide how it is spent or saved)- the benefits are not your income - they count as your child's income. This is important for UK taxes because the first £6,400 or so of the benefit would be tax free for each person.

On my application, I counted my son's survivor benefit as part of a HOUSEHOLD income. They didn't have any issue with it. They are mostly concerned that you won't be a burden on the UK benefit system. The extra money is further proof that you can support yourself as a family.

Best of luck - HTH.

I've got a few more details in regards to my and my fiancee's income.  Thanks everyone for their advice and support on this issue.

My fiancee receives a incapacity benefit of 360.40 per month and a disability living allowance of 75.80 per month. Totaling: 436.20 per month.

As for me, I will be coming with Survivor social security benefit.  I receive 733.00 pounds per month until the month I marry.  My daughter also receives 733.00 per month , which will continue while in the UK till the age of 18. Totaling: 1,466.00 per month during my first 5 months there.

After marriage, my income coming in will be 733.00 pounds per month plus my fiancee's benefits totaling: 1,169.20 per month.

Based upon all your advice and much help you've given me on here, in your opinion, do you think this will be sufficient under these circumstances?

Kind regards,
Karen

How does your fiance pay for his rent and council tax?  Does he get benefit to cover that?  Because £436 is a very small amount.  There's no hard and fast amount, but generally it's understood that a couple needs to have about £105 per week remaining after rent and council tax payments are made, with an extra 50-some (sorry I don't have the exact amounts) for each dependent child.  So based on that you should be OK but I'd make sure that your husbands rent and council tax are taken care of and he doesn't have to pay that out of his £436, just to be safe. 

Yes, his rent and council tax does come out of his benefits he receives.  He pays 14.00 pounds per month for rent and 12.00 pounds per month for council tax.

So, 410.00 in reality he gets per month.

Thank you so much for your help.