Once you get permission to stay as a refugee, any help you are receiving from the Home Office will stop after 21 to 28 days from the day you got your refugee status. This means that any help you are getting with housing and money will stop. In some cases, the notice might be even shorter. You should contact Migrant Help if you have been given a very short notice, they might be able to assist with extending the notice.
Once you receive your notice, you will have to leave your current home and find a new place to live on your own. If you have refugee status or a Ukrainian visas, find:
- information about looking for a home
- help and advice on claiming benefits
- details on English language classes
- information about jobs, training and skills (A refugee status and a Ukraine visa also grant you the right to work in the UK).
For legal advice, visit GOV.UK to find an immigration advisor who can help with most immigration issues.
Refugee schemes
There are several refugee schemes introduced by the Government to support nationals fleeing conflict. Brent participates in, and has dedicated teams to support people who arrived under, the schemes listed below:
Afghan schemes
- The Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) is scheme is for Afghan citizens who worked for or with the UK Government in Afghanistan in exposed or meaningful roles and may include an offer of relocation to the UK for those deemed eligible by the Ministry of Defence and who are deemed suitable for relocation by the Home Office.
- The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) has been introduced in addition to the ARAP scheme. This scheme provides support to people and their families who would be at risk under the Taliban regime, particularly:
- those who have assisted the UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for values such as democracy, women’s rights, freedom of speech, and rule of law
- vulnerable people, including women and girls at risk, and members of minority groups at risk (including ethnic and religious minorities and LGBTQ+).
If you arrived in Brent under one of the above schemes, you can contact our support team by calling 020 8937 2976 or by emailing afghansupport@brent.gov.uk
The Homes for Ukraine scheme
- The Homes for Ukraine scheme enables individuals in the UK to provide a home for Ukrainian guests. Under the scheme, launched in March 2022, UK based hosts provide accommodation for at least six months, and then to show their gratitude, the Government pays eligible hosts monthly thank you payments.
For more information, contact our support team by calling 020 8937 5070 or by emailing ukrainiansupport@brent.gov.uk. You can also find further information on GOV.UK.
Council Tax Discount: If you are renting your own accommodation and all members of your household are here under a Homes for Ukraine visa, you may be entitled to a discount in your council tax. All members of your household must be here under a Homes for Ukraine visa for the discount to apply. Please email counciltax@brent.gov.uk the following details to see if you are eligible for the discount:
- Name of each household member
- Date of Birth of each household member
- Local Authority of arrival (or if moved under the scheme, LA registered with) of each household member.
Your details will then be sent to the Homes for Ukraine team to check your visa status, and if you are eligible, you will then be charged the discounted council tax rate.
Support for refugees
- Afghan Association Paiwand offer wide-ranging support to those in need, including advocacy, employment assistance, and welfare help. Paiwand focuses on youth integration, mental health advice, and immigration guidance. The organisation also provides community support, youth activities, and parenting classes in Brent. Their mental health team offers counselling for Refugees and Asylum Seekers.
Mental Health Support | Youth Activities | Employment Assistance | Families
- Brent Start offers workshops to help residents develop their skills further and gain new qualifications. Courses include beauty, health and social care, business and ICT and languages.
English Classes | Education
- Brent talking therapies is part of the NHS 'Improving Access to Psychological Therapies' (IAPT) program, provides various talking therapies for anxiety, depression, and related issues. You can refer yourself by phone, email, or online form, or ask your GP to refer you. They offer interpreters, including British Sign Language, for accessibility.
Mental Health Support
- Brent Works is a no cost service providing job and apprenticeship opportunities for local people, across a range of sectors, from construction and hotels to cafes and cultural venues.
Employment
- Single Homelessness Prevention Service (SHPS) is a homelessness prevention service for single people and couples in Brent. SHPS works with individuals who are referred by Brent Council to prevent or relieve homelessness. SHPS now offers a new refugee service which provides a face to face assessment to identify next steps for individuals that have received a positive home office decision. Actions can include finding and sustaining a home, a job, registration with GP and any other medicals services. Another key area is becoming part of the community and ensuring personal value and cultural belonging are all part of this unique service which is designed, led and owned by each individual we engage. This is through an empowerment model providing coaching, knowledge and access to further services.
Housing Support
- Citizen Advice Brent (CAB) provides valuable support to Asylum Seekers and Refugees living in Brent. They offer advice and resources for understanding housing and benefits entitlements, and operate an immigration helpline for those in need. They are equipped to give level 1 immigration advice and offer assistance with cost of living support.
Housing Support | Benefits Advice | Cost of Living Support
- Crisis provides vital support to individuals from Brent and neighbouring boroughs who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless. Their services include housing advice and advocacy, training and employment support, as well as health and well-being assistance. For those actively engaged with the service, they also offer access to shower and laundry facilities.
Housing Support | Wellbeing | Employment Support
- ELATT offers a wide range of courses, including ESOL, IT for ESOL, Functional Skills Maths and English, Teaching Assistant, and tech courses like web design and software development. They also provide support in areas such as wellbeing, employability, and debt and welfare to their learners. Additionally, they offer digital classes and have a sixth form provision.
English classes | Employment Support | Education | Wellbeing
- Freedom From Torture This organisation provides therapy and legal advice services for asylum seekers and refugees. This includes counsellors, psychotherapists and other specialists helping people through the long recovery journey
Legal Advice | Mental Health Support
- Groundswell collaborates with hospital Pathway teams and St Mungo’s Outreach to support verified rough sleepers. They assist clients in addressing their health concerns, providing information on health services, and helping them schedule, attend, and understand medical appointments. The organisation offers practical support during follow-ups and hospital stays, advocating for clients when necessary to overcome barriers in accessing healthcare. Additionally, they support clients in applying for HC2 certificates to help with healthcare costs.
Housing Support | Wellbeing
- Groundwork aims to help people access training and employment, protect and enhance green spaces, promote active lifestyles, and address challenges such as poverty, isolation, low skills, and poor health. They offer support through food vouchers, employment assistance, and initiatives encouraging healthier, greener lifestyles. They are dedicated to supporting young people, advocating for corporate responsibility, and providing landscape services to improve community environments.
Employment Support | Wellbeing | Youth Support
- Little Village run baby banks to support families living in poverty with children aged 0-5. They provide essential items including clothing and equipment, often sourced from pre-loved donations in line with their key value of sustainability. They work on a referral basis and offer a signposting and guidance service for additional support. They are currently assisting families living in hotels and also offer volunteering opportunities for those looking to help.
Families and Children
- Brent Universal 0-19 Children's Services work with children aged 0-19 years, providing expert health information, advice, support, assessments and interventions. It comprises of Health visiting teams and School Nursing teams.
The Health visiting teams work with parents, their families and community groups to promote the health and wellbeing of children and reduce inequalities from the antenatal period until the children start school.
The school nursing teams help young people to make the best possible start to life by monitoring their health and promoting good health habits.
Families and Children | Wellbeing | Youth Support
- Migrant Help Migrant Help is a UK charity dedicated to supporting refugees, asylum seekers, and victims of human trafficking. They offer a wide range of services, including asylum support, trafficking support, and integration assistance. Through tailored advice and essential support, Migrant Help is committed to helping vulnerable individuals navigate the challenges of their circumstances and transition into a more stable life.
Advice and guidance
- Opora offer free information channels and active community support group for Ukrainian nationals, post-arrival support, mental health support, business and legal advice.
Legal Advice | Mental Health Support | Employment Support
- Peepal Tree support services provides comprehensive support for unaccompanied minors (UMs) settling in the UK. They assist with education and language development, help with registering for services such as GPs, dentists, and colleges, and oversee asylum claims in conjunction with the local authority. Additionally, they provide life skills development in areas such as budgeting, cooking, and general home and task management skills. They also oversee other miscellaneous support needed by the UMs during their time in the UK.
Education Support | Wellbeing | Legal Advice
- Settled is a free multilingual service on immigration and legal advice for Ukrainian nationals and UK hosts/sponsors.
Legal Advice | Wellbeing
- Salusbury World provides comprehensive refugee support, running programmes for children at schools and offering volunteering opportunities. They offer 1:1 educational mentoring, classes for mothers, and holidays for children. Additionally, they provide housing and legal support, health advice, ESOL classes, and help with accessing benefits such as Universal Credit through Hubs. They also advocate for school places, uniforms, etc., and run holiday programmes for children aged 8-11 and 12-16.
Families and Children | English Classes | Legal Advice | Education Support | Wellbeing
- Springboard Youth Academy provides newly arrived refugee and asylum-seeking youth (aged 13-18) with a vital opportunity to make friends, acquire English language and life skills, and begin to rebuild their lives in the UK. Their Saturday Programme runs weekly during term-time at Newman Catholic College, their Half-term Programme runs daily during all half-terms (also at NCC), and their Summer Programme runs daily for three weeks in August at Capital City Academy. Each day (10am-3pm) consists of a participatory English session, sports, a hot, halal lunch and a life skills or arts workshop, plus the opportunity for additional 1:1 support if needed. Open to young people being age disputed.
Education Support | Wellbeing | Youth Activities
- Sufra provides emergency food aid to refugees and asylum seekers and offers the Open Arms resettlement programme to empower asylum seekers, refugees and migrants to become independent and start a new life in our community. They give advice to asylum seekers and refugees and run social inclusion activities on Fridays. They also offer an introduction to ESOL, asylum and protection and level 2 immigration advice. In addition, they make referrals to other services.
Cost of Living support | Wellbeing | Legal Advice
- Renaisi is dedicated to supporting professional skilled refugees and asylum seekers with the right to work in the UK. One of their key programmes is Transitions, which collaborates with 15-20 engaged employers to broker placements and permanent roles across sectors such as engineering, the built environment, and business services. The programme offers 1-to-1 career coaching support and access to employability workshops, both in-person and virtual. Additionally, it provides opportunities to build English-speaking confidence in group and 1-to-1 settings through engaged employer partners for professionals.
Employment Support
- Refugee Education UK (REUK) supports young people in accessing education, offering mentoring and wellbeing support. They provide training for educational practitioners on assisting refugees, offer ESOL classes, and give advice to refugees aiming for higher education. They host free monthly workshops for young refugees and provide scholarships for asylum seeking students.
English Classes | Educational Support
- Young Roots advocates for young refugees and asylum seekers aged 14-25 in Brent, providing 1-to-1 support to access education, social services, healthcare, and legal advice. They assist throughout the asylum process, including age assessments, appeals, and appointments. Their youth development programme reduces social isolation, improves mental health, and creates a sense of belonging through youth activities, women's groups, holiday trips, and residentials. The Youth Welfare Project supports the wellbeing of newly arrived young refugees aged 18-25 living in Home Office accommodation in Brent.
Educational Support | Wellbeing