I’m so in love with my Filipino wife I’m living off £1 Iceland frozen pizzas to send her money and bring her to the UK

A PENSIONER loves his Filipino wife so much he’s surviving on £1 Iceland frozen pizzas to send her hundreds each month.

John Ball, 78, is willing to sacrifice everything – including his life savings and vital heart medication – to bring his wife Anita, 61, to the UK.

The OAP is sending a crippling £250 a month to the Philippines after the Home Office blocked their bid to move Anita into his Southport council house.

UK spousal law states a couple must have a minimum combined income of £29,000, unless they have £160,000 saved in the bank – which John dubbed “ridiculously discriminatory”.

He told the Mail: “It’s hell on earth, I am having to cut down on everything just to send her the money.

“I’ve got to find the cheapest food there is, like pizzas for less than £1.

“I will be at serious risk if I can’t get my tablets sent over there.”

The cost of sending his medication over to the Philippines would be around £100 a week – unaffordable for the twice-divorced pensioner who lives on £210 a week.

But John said he’d “risk [his] life for her”, and has even looked into selling his organs to raise funds.

This comes after he drained £9,000, most of his savings, on solicitors to fight the Home Office rejection of Anita’s visa application.

He now barely gets by on around £20 a day, and with Winter Fuel Payments cut John can only afford heating a few times a week.

Meanwhile Anita, who lives in a three-bedroom house, is worried a move overseas could be detrimental to John’s health if he can’t access his heart medication.

She said she is “deeply moved by his determination” and still hopes for the possibility of a UK visa.

But, John will still need the correct paperwork himself to settle in the Philippines or face jail.

And, it would mean losing his Southport bungalow, potentially leaving him homeless if he were to return to the UK.

However his family have said they can’t stop the “stubborn” pensioner and will try to help him where they can.

John added: “I’m between the devil and the deep blue sea but I am willing to risk everything just to be with my wife. She means the world to me.”

The couple tied the knot in September 2023 just months after meeting on a dating app.

Dad-of-two John was single for 13 years and sick of the UK dating scene when pals suggested he join Filipino Cupid.

With nothing to lose, he paid the £10-a-month subscription and got swiping but potential flames just wanted his money.

Feeling helpless, he took a break before stumbling across widower Anita’s profile and fired off a flirty “hi”.

John had been cautious after finding most of his potential matches had asked for cash very early on.

But he fell head over heels after asking if Anita wanted him to send her money – to be which she objected and gave him a telling off.

Their cyber love blossomed and eight months later John found himself on the island paradise of Cebu meeting Anita and her family.

He now speaks to her every morning and night on FaceTime and has been to the Philippines on three or four occasions.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “It is longstanding government policy that we do not comment on individual cases, but the Minimum Income Requirement for family visas remains an important part of maintaining a controlled, managed and fair immigration system.

“In cases where refusing a visa would cause unjustifiably harsh consequences for the applicant or their family, permission can still be granted based on exceptional circumstances.”

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