Refugees and family reunions - a guide to housing

Refugees - I have permission to stay in the UK

When an Asylum Seeker has been given Refugee status by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) you will be given notice that the support provided to you so far, will be coming to an end.

This means that:

• You will stop getting your cash allowance
• You will be given permission to work in the UK or you can apply for benefits if you cannot look for work or have very little/no income
• You have to move house – if you were given somewhere to live as an asylum seeker (called dispersed accommodation) – you will be given up to 28 days’ notice to move out.

When you are given permission to live in this country the Home Office will tell Migrant Help, who can help you find housing, claim benefits and make an appointment at the job centre.

You should first try to find your own housing by enquiring with private landlords/letting’s agents or some Housing Associations have their own waiting lists – please see the webpage called ‘Other Housing Options’.

You will be asked to provide:

• NASS 35 form - A form which UKBA gives to people who are given a positive asylum decision. It confirms that a person is no longer an asylum seeker and so will lose their accommodation if UKBA are providing it.
• Immigration Status Document - A letter confirming your status in this country.
• A document confirming your identity with your photograph - This can be the Immigration Status Document that you should get when you get your new status.
• Documents confirming the identity of any other people in the family and their relationship to you.
• Letters and other papers about health problems anyone in the household has, that are important.

What will the council do if you apply as homeless?

If you are homeless, you may be offered temporary accommodation if you are:

• Eligible - People with refugee status, humanitarian protection and discretionary leave qualify for housing advice and help from the council, but asylum seekers do not (they get help from the UKBA instead).
• In priority need – If there is a reason to believe that: you have a child or a pregnant woman is part of your household, you are under 18, or are vulnerable because of age (over 60 or young), illness, disability or other special reason, such as being made homeless because of fire, flood or other disaster – then you may be in priority need.

The law on priority need is complicated so you should get advice if you think you may be vulnerable but are not sure.

If you are homeless and eligible, the council may decide to make further enquiries, but it will make sure you have somewhere to live while it investigates your situation, if there is a reason to believe that you (or someone in your household) has a priority need.

Which council can I apply to?

You can apply to any council in the country and they should give you temporary accommodation if you are eligible and in priority need, but they will refer you to another area if you have no local connection with them.

You have a local connection with an area if you:

• Work there
• Have lived there for at least six months in the last year or three years out of the last five
• Have a close family member who has lived there for five years
• Were accommodated by the UKBA there when you got your status decision.

The rules on local connection are complicated and you should get advice if you are thinking of applying as homeless in a new area.

Family Reunion

Your partner or child may be able to join or stay with you in the UK if:

• You were part of a family before you were forced to leave your country
• You have protection status (permission to stay as a refugee or person with humanitarian protection)

If you formed your family after left your country, your partner or child must first apply for a visa to join you in the UK.

Your partner or child cannot join you if:

• You have not received a decision on your asylum claim
• You are under 18

If their application is successful, your family members will be allowed to come to or stay in the UK with the same permission as you.

You must be in a civil partnership or be married to qualify, or you must have lived together in a relationship like a marriage or civic partnership for at least 2 years in your country you had to flee.

You child must be:

• Under the age of 18, and
• Not be married or in a civic partnership

If your child is aged 18 and over, they can apply as a child if ALL of the following apply:

• your child is dependent on your financial and emotional support
• the parent of the child is in the UK or they qualify to come to the UK for family reunion and are planning on travelling to the UK
• your child does not live an independent life and cannot afford essential living costs
• your child has no other relatives for support and cannot get support or work in the country where they are living

When a family reunion affects your housing

If a family reunion affects your housing, for example if you live in single person’s accommodation and your family cannot join you to live there, then, as well as trying to find your own private rented housing, you can seek housing advice and help from the council’s Housing Options Service – but only when you have evidence that your family is joining you in the UK.

You should go in person to Salford Civic Centre, to seek advice from the Housing Options Service – as above.

Who else can provide you with individual/free advice?

You can also get free help and housing advice from Citizens Advice.