Employer Paid Accomodation & Utilities - Proof Requireme

[Scherzenando]

Dear All,

I am planning to apply for Tier 1 General and I am requiring advise of the experienced members on the following queries.

1) I am getting Indian Salary, UK Per Diems and I have got the pay statement and bank records for the payments. Apart from these my employer is taking care of my accomodation and other related utilities by sponsoring B & B near the company. Kindly advise if these non-monetary benefits received due to employment can be considered as a UK earning ?

2) If the above benefits can be considered as earnings, kindly advise the type of proofs that may be required by the HO to support this earning for my Tier 1 application ?

Any advise / related reference links will help ?

Thanks for your time.

[geriatrix]

Read Tier 1 (General) policy guidance *carefully*.



regards

[Scherzenando]

Dear All,

With regards to the Employer paid allowances in UK, I do not have a UK payslip to show the allowances being paid to the third parties including letting agents and travel companies. I am current getting the following allowances other than my India salary from my employer and he is ready to give me attested letter for the same and my employment contract also carries the same information.

1) Per Diem - Additionally I have the UK bank statment to the prove the same.
2) Visa expenses - No other proof. This is not a reimbursement.
3) Flight Travel - No other proof. This is not a reimbursement.
4) Travel Insurance - No other proof. This is not a reimbursement.

I have the following queries, please can you let me know your thoughts on the queries.

1) Is any of the listed allowances not eligible for claiming as a UK earning.
2) Will employer letter and contract statement be enough to prove the earnings.

Kindly do the needful

[mulderpf]

Allowances
We will only include allowances (such 125. as those for accommodation or schooling for an applicant’s children) in the assessment of an applicant’s previous earnings if they are part of an applicant’s remuneration package and are not paid to reimburse the applicant for money he/she has previously spent.
We will only accept allowances as 126. earnings if they are declared in the applicant’s payslips and there is a contractual obligation on the employer’s part to make these payments.

I'm not sure how to classify Per Diem, but in terms of Visa Expenses, Flight Travel and Travel Insurance, I seriously doubt that this can be included as it is not considered part of your package (well, not that I've ever heard of). Generally this money would be to cover money that you have to spend. Example: Visa Expenses - do you get a monthly amount for this that doesn't change (then it's part of your package) or do you get paid as and when you need to apply for visas (reimbursement - even if its paid upfront). Flights and travel insurance - test it for the same. If it's based on actual expenses, it's a reimbursement not an allowance.

[geriatrix]

Technically, none of the above may be your "earning / income". Per Diem is not income. An expense is not income. Likewise, money given to buy travel insurance or buy flight tickets is money for an expense not your income.

Also, items where you have "no other proof" cannot be used to claim points. The policy guidance explains why.


regards

[Scherzenando]

Thanks a lot for your responses Sush & Mulderpf,

These expenses are listed as a part of my onsite assignment contract for Tier 1 General as the compensation break up which are as follows.

Indian Salary
UK Per Diem
Visa's
Accomodation
Travel (Insurance & Airtickets)

I understand most of them are expenses, but when the employment contract states it as a compensation, my employer is ready to provide a letter for the additional components and the expenses are made on my behalf, doesn't it form a part of my income.

Additionally all these components were declared to HMRC for my tax filing last April. So from the company's and HMRC perspective this is an expense done for me or it is my income, though not physically.

I am sure this is a messed up noodles, but just seeing if there is a chance to apply from UK.

I may need to start to beleive that my current situation is hopeless, but any clarity on the same lines particularly with representation of earnings from multiple countries will help other members, possibly to reduce rejections.

Thanks,

Scherz

[renzokuken]

No chance you can use them as your income..

[geriatrix]

Contractual obligation to pay for expenses to enable you to work in the UK don't necessarily make advance payments for expenses your income / earnings.

This said, I do understand that that some employers may be ready to draft a letter to suit the purpose by stating such amounts against appropriate categories to show them off as income. And I believe that many applicants may have used such measures to apply. But, in absence of evidence from a 2nd independent source, in your case even such an attempt will not work.


regards