Repeal the minimum income rule for non-EU spouses so international families can stay together

Dear Boris Johnson,

These last few months, Britain has gone through extraordinary times – but through this, we have revealed our innate ability as humans to endure, adapt and protect. This is what has helped us through the challenges we’ve faced and helped us all – regardless of where we’re from – pull together, with many putting their own lives at risk to keep the country going. Most of us have also experienced first-hand what it is like to be separated from loved ones. They say you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone – for many of us, this experience has brought into sharp focus just how important family really is.

So as lockdown eases and families start to come back together in one form or another, we ask you to consider the many thousands more who are unable to be reunited with theirs – including the thousands of children who have no idea when they will be able to hug their mummy or daddy. There is no end in sight for their lockdown, because of a policy introduced eight years ago today, on 9 July 2012, which put a price tag on their family life.

The minimum income requirement (MIR) means that British people (and others who are settled in the UK) have to be earning at least £18,600 in order to live in the UK with a partner from outside Europe. Over 40 per cent of the UK do not earn this – and this figure is likely to grow significantly as we enter a recession. This rule effectively tells people in this situation: “You don’t earn enough, so you’re not worthy of a family life here.” The rule has caused hardship for years – and never more so than during the current pandemic. Belated, small changes, have been made to the policy, for now at least, in light of Covid-19, but they leave lots of families behind – and beyond this time, our families have no idea what lies ahead for them.

*Elizabeth is a new mum who is forced to risk her life and the life of her young baby every day just so she can continue to meet the MIR to keep her family together. She told us: “I started working as a nursing assistant after finishing my maternity leave. My husband’s spouse visa extension is due in September, but now he has lost his job. As such, I’ve had no choice but to work full-time on nights on an NHS complex mental health ward with Covid-19 patients to try to meet the MIR myself. Leaving my little boy this much was never the plan. This has affected me so badly, mentally. I have major anxiety attacks every time I have to leave the house. I am so stressed by not knowing if we’ll meet the financial requirements. We currently don’t have enough money to cover all the bills. Without a doubt, this has been the most horrendous time of our lives.”

Eight years since this policy was introduced, there is no evidence to show that it has had any positive impact. However, a recent survey shows that 10 per cent of people affected by the MIR have, in fact, been pushed out of paid work and into the benefits system because they are not able to share childcare with their partner.

A full review of the policy has never been published. Instead, children have been growing up without one of their parents, which has caused mental health issues in both adults and children. The decreased household income available to these separated families (and for those who are here together and applying for their extension) amidst a recession, together with extortionate application fees, are causing increased poverty and despair.

As we look beyond Brexit, the government intends to extend the current rules to UK citizens and other settled residents (including EU citizens with settled status) with a partner from Europe, too, with the potential to devastate hundreds of thousands more families.

Over 100,000 people have already shown support for scrapping this policy, with momentum growing by the day. The road ahead for many in our society is looking tough – on the anniversary of the MIR, we ask you to think again and remove the MIR, so that families can stay together, no matter what.

With kind regards,

Caroline Coombs and Jane Yilmaz, co-founders, Reunite Families UK

Mary Atkinson, Families Together campaign officer, Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants

Nicolas Hatton, CEO and founder member, The 3 Million

Jane Golding and Fiona Godfrey, co-chairs, British in Europe

*Name has been changed

No new normal for NHS staff

Over countless weeks, a plethora of commentators across all persuasions have clearly stated that when the medical pandemic is over – or at least as near as we can get – we must not return to our so-called old normal ways of doing things; and apparently this is heavily supported by the public.

Presumably, though, this does not include NHS workers who are shortly having to resume paying to park at their place of work, which I must add was totally wrong years ago when it was first imposed. Absolutely disgraceful.

Robert Boston
Kingshill, Kent

Reduce retirement age

Something the chancellor could do that would help older and younger people alike – and wouldn’t have much financial impact – is to reduce the retirement age. Many older people are finding coping with having to work much longer difficult and exhausting. They have to continue as they are waiting for their state pension. Reducing the retirement age would release a lot of jobs that would filter down to younger people and help the unemployment figures.

Gill Matthews
Address supplied

Trust issues

While I agree with the general content of Vince Cable’s article, any piece from a leading Lib Dem who served in the post-2010 coalition that features the word “trust”, has to be greeted with derision. We still remember the betrayal of promises and principles in return for seats at the Tory cabinet table.

John E Harrison
Chorley, Lancashire

Care home crisis

I was interested to see that John Rentoul agrees with Johnson that many care homes did not follow adequate procedures to protect their staff and residents from coronavirus. This is implicit in his comment that those that locked down early did better than the rest.

The representatives of care home companies were quick to complain loudly that Johnson’s comments were a blow to the morale of their minimum wage workers, while completely missing the responsibility that more squarely lies with their management. If some care homes got it right, why did so many get it wrong?

There are undoubtedly many underlying reasons why some behaved differently from others, but I can’t help but recall the many times The Independent has highlighted the money made by owners of care homes in contrast to the inadequacy of the pay provided to the carers they employ.

Perhaps some of those dividends might have been used to finance the acquisition of PPE in advance of a possible epidemic. The government has been criticised for its lack of planning – perhaps care home managers should be equally criticised.

Bob Fennell
Bromley

High-vis Boris

Has anyone else noticed the resemblance between Boris Johnson’s penchant for high vis and Putin’s penchant for riding bare chested?

Jean Gallafent
London

Hitting the wrong note

So the government is to reintroduce parking charges for hospital staff. Not so much a “Clap for the NHS” as a “Slap for the NHS”.

Colin Burke
Cartmel, Cumbria