Long Term Immigration Process for Elderly Dependent

[ImmQS]

I have some general questions regarding the immigration process that is somewhat unclear to me. First off, I am a British Citizen and have successfully brought my aging mother over to the UK as an Elderly Dependent. We filed the application from abroad so I believe what we currently have is an ILE status. I am looking for some general guidance in the next steps and also trying to find out what limitations if any there are to this status.

As I understand her current status,as ILE we have to file for an ILR within two years. Please confirm.

So here is what I believe we have to do:
1) File for ILR within 2 years
2) Within five years file for British Citizenship

The questions that I have are two fold.

1) What travel restrictions apply to any of the above statuses? While we are working to have her obtain her Citizenship, she cannot take the colder climate of the UK, and would like the ability to spend 3-6months abroad. Are there any limitations on the amount of time out of the UK she can spend that would jeopardize her current or future status? The only item I found on UKBA site was that for the Citizenship application she has to be a resident for 5 years and cannot have been abroad for more than a 2 year period in that time.

2) If she obtains her British Citizenship, will she be eligible for any social benefits such as pension, tax credits, etc? Someone indicated to me that this was a possibility, but does not seem right or necessarily fair to me that if she hasn't paid any tax here to receive the benefits from this system. Please advise, as I could not find any information regarding this issue.

Thanks,

[vinny]

ILE holders do not need to apply for ILR. She will be subject to the returning residents provisions. However, long absences may make her ineligible for naturalisation.

See also ILR and Recourse to Public Funds.