Pensioner 'doesn't have enough money in bank' to see wife as health declines

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A pensioner whose health is deteriorating says he will "no longer be able to cope" on his own once his wife returns home to Brazil.

Brian Edwards, 88, has been ill for the last few years but has now described his situation as "helpless". Brian and his wife Neiva, 79, would in the past make the journey to each other's home countries. However, due to Brian's declining health he is now unable to travel.

Neiva is currently visiting Brian at his home in Wallasey, Merseyside. The current law concerning immigration allows a person to stay in the UK without a visa for up to six months - however, in March, those six months will be up.

As reported by the Echo, the couple are seeking a spousal visa which will allow Neiva to remain in the UK to take care of Brian. However, to be eligible for a spousal visa under the UK government's legislation, a minimum income of at least £29,000 or a cash savings requirement of at least £88,500 (or a combination of both) is required.

In order for savings to meet the requirements, they must be held in cash in a personal bank or savings account in the name of the applicant or their partner or be held jointly by the couple. Brian and Neiva both receive a pension, but do not meet either requirements of the law.

Brian - who lives on his own and has no remaining family following the death of his son and daughter - said his situation is urgent due to his declining health, and he needs his wife "more than ever".

He said: "I've been ill for the last few years and now I've been diagnosed with a leaking valve in my heart. I need my wife here now all the time to help me. I just can't cope on my own now. I can just about get up the stairs. She does everything. Without my wife I'm absolutely helpless."

Brian uses a walking frame to get around, and can no longer walk to the local shop to pick up his newspaper. He said: "If I do too much walking, my heart doesn't get the blood to the areas and I start to go dizzy, as if I'm about to faint. When I'm walking, I'm starving my brain of oxygen, and next thing I know I have to stop walking and sit down because my head's spinning and I've got double vision."

Brian met Neiva, who lives in an apartment in Sao Paulo, Brazil, aboard a cruise across the Atlantic in 2013. After marrying in Wallasey Town Hall in 2014, the couple were happy to visit each other for a few months, before returning to their separate homes.

"It suited us," Brian said. "At our age we're quite happy to spend six months with each other. She can come here for a few months, I can go there for a few months. But now I just can't travel. I haven't even been on the new trains and the station is only at the bottom of the road. I can't even get on the train, let alone fly."

He added: "Neiva's stuck between the devil and the sea. She wants to be able to go back and see her family, but she's prepared to stay with me indefinitely because she knows I need her help which I've never needed before.

"It's destroying, frankly. Even in the event I was able to look after myself, it's not right that she couldn't come here anymore. It doesn't make sense just because I haven't got enough money in the bank. I mean you're coming between a married couple."

Neiva, who is currently staying in Wallasey with Brian, has until March 2 before she has to return to Brazil, unless the application for a spousal visa is reconsidered. Brian added: "I'm too ill to travel, and she's not allowed to come here, so that means in March, she goes and I don't see her again, which is ridiculous." Brian's other option is to apply for Attendance Allowance, which helps with extra costs for people with a disability or health condition severe enough that they need to be looked after.

He added: "It would cost the government money not to let her in. I'd end up having to get all the help I can get, regarding home help and what have you. People doing my shopping, making my dinners. I don't want strangers coming into my house and treating me like a child. I just don't want that. I have no doubt I'll qualify for it, but the point is that it will cost the government money. So everyone loses in the end."

There are other routes available, which Brian had previously been unaware of. According to the government website, where refusal of an application could result in unjustifiably harsh consequences for the applicant or their partner, an application will be reconsidered. Brian said he "wasn't aware" of the exception and "will look into it". The Home Office told the Echo it does not comment on individual cases.

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