The threshold for a couple (no kids) is £100.95. Since you have two children, there will be an additional tax credit element that comes into play, so according to
http://www.entitledto.co.uk/default.asp ... 3782d303c3
it would be £96.00. Therefore you are looking at to have around £200 per week after paying your rent and council tax.
Yes, but the Tax Credits, and indeed Child Benefit, would be received, wouldn't they!
It is worth mentioning para 6C of the Immigration Rules, if only to say that I can't see how it applies here. That is, if the amount of benefits was to be increased because a visa application is granted, then that increase cannot be taken into account in assessing whether the financial test is passed or not. The children are British, and don't need visas, and of course if the couple are happy to do so, the children could come to the UK now, and thus Child Benefit and Tax Credits claims would start.
In other words, if the visa is granted, that in itself will not lead to an increase in benefits payable.
Also DesignChick, you are misreading something already posted. You are interpreting "Therefore you are looking at to have around £200 per week after paying your rent and council tax" as "Wow so that means he needs 800 pounds left in his account at the end of the month", but that is not being suggested. Even if the £800 figure was correct, that amount can be used to pay gas, electricity, water, etc etc, and thus a lot less than £800 need be left in the bank account at the end of each month.
And if he currently has a surplus of income over all expenditure of £450 per month, I don't envisage you will have a problem passing the financial test.
