Post
by Brigid from Ireland » Tue Mar 04, 2014 10:25 am
EU law does not define 'sufficient funds'. It does however accept that any person who has the same amount as is provided in respect of social welfare payments to the destitute poor (Basic supplementary welfare allowance) is in possession of sufficient funds.
The social welfare payment to a person 18-24 years is 100 euro per week.
Age 25 = 186/week
If the above person has a dependent spouse that spouse gets another 124.80 and each child gets 30 euro per week.
In other words, you could make the arguement that you are single and have 100 euro per week, and that this is sufficient for you are your costs are no greater than those of an 18 year old person. The state would find this arguement difficult to overturn.
If you have 186 per week for yourself (if you are over age 25) and 124.80 for your spouse (if any) then you are deemed to have 'sufficient funds' and no state employee can question it.
The idea is that you must have an amount which is sufficiently high that you cannot claim social welfare and if you have the above amount you can't claim social welfare. You must also purchase health insurance as you have no right to free medical care. If you get legal residence for 5 years you can apply at the end of the 5 years for citizenship and if you get this then you have all rights of citizenship, including free/subsidised health care.
Note that if you have less than 100 euro per week you can still claim that you have sufficient funds, but state employees could question this. You might succeed with less than 100 euro per week if you explained that you had free accommodation/food with your child who is working in Ireland and only needed pocket money of say 30 euro per week.
BL
