Migrant Carer Forfeits Crucial Support Over Settlement Fears
A low-paid carer from Ghana, living and working legally in the UK, has made the drastic decision to cancel all of her family's benefits, including the disability allowance for her autistic daughter. This desperate move comes as a direct response to the government's proposed shake-up of immigration rules, which she fears will penalise her and prevent her from gaining permanent status.
The woman, who has three children, took this action despite being legally entitled to the support. She has asked officials to stop her housing benefit and universal credit, which she receives due to her low income, and the disability living allowance (DLA) of £103.10 a week for her eight-year-old autistic daughter, which assists with personal care and mobility.
Radical Policy Changes Extend Settlement Wait
The radical changes to legal migration were announced by the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, on 20 November. The new rules are designed to penalise migrants who are legally in the UK but who claim benefits. A key change involves extending the timeframe before many can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR).
Previously, many people qualified for ILR after five years. The carer in this case is on the "10-year route", where individuals must pay thousands to renew their temporary leave every 30 months for a decade. Under the proposed new model, this qualifying period has been extended to a staggering 20 years for many.
Furthermore, the government has proposed that those who have accessed benefits for more than 12 months will face a 20-year wait for settlement, a significant extension from the current five years under certain visa routes.
"My Body is in So Much Pain": The Human Cost
The carer, who has already completed nine of her ten years on the route to settlement, said she learned of the changes through TikTok videos circulated by lawyers within her community. The videos warned that claiming benefits would severely impact eligibility for ILR.
"I heard about these changes and decided to cancel all my benefits," she said. "The only way I will be able to manage to pay my rent and feed my children is if I increase my working hours as a carer to 60 hours a week. Some weeks I'm already working 50 hours, but I need to increase my hours now."
She described the immense physical and emotional toll, stating, "My daughter, who is autistic, does not sleep much so I am constantly exhausted. My body is in so much pain. I need to try to get some medication from the doctor to deal with this pain so that I will be able to work the extra hours."
She explained that she had only started claiming in-work benefits on the advice of her daughter's school, where teachers suggested she work fewer hours to spend more time with her children. "It feels so unfair that I accessed benefits because I'm on a low wage and now that is being used against me," she added.
Charity Warns of Widespread Discrimination
Nick Beales, the head of campaigning at the charity Ramfel, which is supporting the woman, condemned the government's plans. "The government's 'earned settlement' plans clearly discriminate against south Asian, African and Caribbean migrants, who make up the vast majority of people on the existing 10-year route to settlement," he said.
Beales highlighted the impossible choice facing many: "People such as this woman now face a stark choice: continue receiving essential state support issued to her disabled child and lock herself out of permanent immigration status or sacrifice that support to her child's detriment in the hope that she will still eventually secure permanent status. Her case is not an isolated incident."
In response, a government spokesperson said: "As the home secretary has set out, under our proposed new settlement model, individuals will have the opportunity to reduce the qualifying period to settlement and citizenship based on contributions to the UK economy and society. We have launched the consultation and encourage overseas workers to take part."
