In a significant development, the Reunite Families group has announced plans to pursue legal action against the UK government’s recently introduced minimum income requirement of £38,700 for spouse and family visas. The government has disclosed its intention to implement the threshold gradually, initially setting it at £29,000. While much of the coverage surrounding this issue has rightfully centered on the separation of families, two critical aspects have been seemingly overlooked – the plight of pensioners and the implications for Irish citizens.
Pensioners, notably those in unions with European Union citizens, are grappling with the harsh reality that returning to live in the UK post-Brexit is an unattainable prospect. The income threshold, surpassing the feasible range of many modest occupational pensions, presents a formidable barrier. Even when factoring in the state pension, the projected income falls significantly short of the newly established requirement.
Government statistics themselves underscore the severity of the proposed income threshold, revealing it to be more than double the median single pensioner income of £349 per week. Worth noting is the fact that only the income of the UK partner is taken into consideration for new visa applications, rendering a majority of pensioners ineligible to relocate with their non-UK/non-Irish spouses to the UK.
A second, less-explored dimension of the issue pertains to Irish citizens, subject to the same visa rules. The stipulation implies that those with non-UK/non-Irish spouses cannot freely move within Ireland from the south to the north unless they meet the newly imposed income threshold. While technically not a violation of the Good Friday Agreement, this practice is argued to run counter to the agreement’s underlying principles.
Critics of the income requirement question its logic, particularly its purported aim of preventing individuals from becoming a burden on public funds. This rationale is contested on the basis that spouse and family visas already preclude recipients from accessing state benefits, thereby addressing concerns of potential strain on public resources.
As the Reunite Families group gears up for legal action, the implications of this policy extend beyond the immediate issue of family separation, touching upon the financial viability for pensioners and the intricacies of cross-border movements for Irish citizens. The evolving situation prompts a critical examination of the government’s policy decisions and their far-reaching consequences on diverse segments of the population.
