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Asylum support


Definition

An Asylum Seeker is someone who comes to the UK and applies for refugee status. Until refugee status is granted, such a person remains an asylum seeker. 

The council has a statutory responsibility to offer assistance to asylum seekers under the National Assistance Act, 1948. We have a duty to provide accommodation and benefits to asylum seekers while they await the outcome of their case with the Home Office.

Following changes in the law due to the Immigration and Asylum Act of 1999, asylum seekers that arrived after April 2000 no longer have a right to assistance and do not have to be provided for by the council.

Instead, the Home Office provides support through the National Asylum Support Service at www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk (opens new window).

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The Asylum & Family Support Service

Provides a range of services to families, mainly those from abroad who are destitute and have no access to public support.

Opening Hours: the service operates on an appointment basis, Tuesday to Friday during the following hours: 9.30am-12pm and 2pm-3.30pm.

For more details please contact us in person or telephone us on 020 8753 1179, Monday to Friday 9am-5pm. You can also contact us on the out-of-hours number, 020 8748 3020 for emergencies.

Office: 020 8753 1179
Address:  
145 King Street 
Hammersmith
London W6 9XY

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What we offer

We carry out an assessment to determine which services you may need
.
Services that we can provide include:

  • advice about financial support 
  • advice about medical support 
  • housing provision 
  • arranging educational provision
  • arranging health assessments  

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What we do

We provide packages of support including accommodation, financial and community care services to:

  • foreign nationals and
  • failed asylum seekers      

who are subject to immigration control with:

  • outstanding asylum or general applications for leave to remain or
  • awaiting removal orders      

and who have no recourse to public funds or social housing within: 

  • The National Assistance Act 1948 Section 21 / The NHS Community Care Act 1990 Section 47.
  • The Children’s Act 1989 Section 17
  • Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 Section 54 Schedule 3
  • European Convention on Human Rights 1998 Articles 3 & 8      

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What we need

To apply for advice and assistance you will need to produce the following documents:

  • Proof of identification which can include documents issued by the Home Office, passport, ID card or evidence of immigration status.
  • A letter from your legal representative detailing all relevant information and circumstances of the case.
  • Letter of confirmation of attendance from children’s school if you have a child
  • Letter of confirmation from college / university if you are studying.
  • Letter from college confirming that fees are being paid and by whom
  • Wage slips for the last six months.
  • Itemised bank statements for the last six months
  • Evidence of homelessness.
  • Proof that you are actively seeking employment if you have a right to work.
  • Confirmation you are registered with a GP.
  • Full medical or psychiatric reports form consultant if applicable.
  • Evidence that you have been grant temporary admission into the UK e.g. IS96 document /visa if subject to immigration control
  • Evidence of outstanding asylum application
  • Home Office Adjudication Reports if all rights of appeals have been exhausted on any asylum application.
  • Evidence that you reside in the borough.
  • National Insurance Number  

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What the law says

The National Assistance Act 1948 Section 21

You may qualify for assistance if:

  • you are destitute or
  • have needs beyond destitution      

for example, because of your age, illness or disability and do not have recourse to public funds or social housing. 

We assess you on things like:

The Children’s Act 1989 section 17

This act places a duty on local authorities to promote the welfare of children in need and their families. The families we support under the act tend to be UK and foreign nationals who have no recourse to public or social housing including homeless households found to be intentionally homeless and households who have failed the habitual residency test.

The Nationality Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 Section 54 Schedule 3 

The act prevents local authorities from providing support under NAA 1948 Section 21 and CA1989 Section 17 to four categories of persons namely E.U. nationals, failed asylum seeks who have failed to comply with removal directions, persons unlawfully present in the UK and persons who have been granted leave to remain in EU countries other than the UK. To apply this legislation a human rights assessment is carried out so that no conventions rights are breached if we decide to withhold support or offer travel assistance back to countries of origin.

The Human Rights Act 1998 Article 3 & 8 

We carry out a human rights assessment so that no conventions rights are breached if we decide to withhold support or offer travel tickets back to countries of origin.

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Dispelling some myths

There are a lot of myths surrounding who gets social housing, particularly in relation to people from abroad. The council is not legally permitted to house certain persons subject to immigration control including: 

  • over stayers and visitors and visitors to the country
  • illegal entrants
  • asylum seekers
  • people in the country on condition that they will not have recourse to public funds
  • persons from abroad who fail the habitual residence test 
  • persons from abroad who are in breach of the European Community Right of Residence directive
  • persons from abroad who have been subject of a sponsorship agreement for less than five years and whose sponsors are still alive.       

Some people also claim that the council only houses black people or white people only. There is no truth in this. The council doesn’t decide who gets housing on the basis of a persons skin colour, race or any other characteristic but simply only on the basis of an individuals need for rehousing and not which group they belong to.

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Useful web links

Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate: 
www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk (opens new window)

This website will help you understand UK Immigration control and what your rights and responsibilities are when you make an application.

Asylum Support websites:
www.asylumsupport.info (opens new window)

Websites that focus on all matters that concern people seeking asylum, together with a directory of hundreds of many online resources (all links open in new windows).

Features:


Human Rights reports on Nationality, Asylum and Immigration:

Links:

Publications:

UK and World News:

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Other organisations

Contact details and links to other organisations:

Refugees Online 
www.refugeesonline.org.uk (opens new window)

Provides links to many of the organisations listed below as well as other organisations giving support to refugees and asylum seekers (all links open in new windows).

Bridge Counselling (women only) 
129 Bloemfontein Road 
London W12 7DA 
Tel: 020 8749 9451 
Fax: 020 8749 6493

Hammersmith & Fulham Citizens Advice Bureau 
1 Mund Street 
London W14 9LY 
Tel: 020 7385 6750 
Fax: 020 7385 6750 
www.fulhamcab.org.uk

Hammersmith and Fulham Community Law Centre 
142/144 King Street 
London W6 0QU
Tel: 020 8741 4021 
Fax: 020 8741 1450 
www.hflaw.org.uk 
hflaw@hflaw.org.uk 

Hammersmith & Fulham Refugee Forum 
Bishop Creighton House 
375 Lillie Road 
London SW6 7PH 
Tel: 020 7386 9060 
hfrefugeeforum@btconnect.com 

Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate 
www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk 

London Asylum Seekers Consortium (LASC) 
Association of London Government 
59½ Southwark Street 
London 
SE1 0AL 
Tel: 0207934 9651 
www.westminster.gov.uk/lasc

Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture 
111 Isledon Road 
London N7 7JW 
Tel : 020 7697 7777 
Fax: 020 7697 7799 
www.torturecare.org.uk

Migrant Helpline Croydon 
45 Friends Road 
Croydon CR0 1ED 
Tel: 020 8774 0002 
Fax: 020 8774 0003 
www.migranthelpline.org.uk 
information@migranthelpline.org.uk

Refugee Council 
240-250 Ferndale Road 
London SW9 8BB 
Tel: 020 7582 6922 
Advice Line: 020 7346 6777 
Fax: 020 7840 4388 
www.refugeecouncil.org.uk 
info@refugeecouncil.org.uk

Refugee Education and Training Advisory Service (RETAS) 
14 Dufferin Street 
London EC1Y 8TD 
Tel: 020 7426 5800 
www.education-action.org 
retas@education-action.org

Refugee Support Centre 
47 South Lambeth Road 
London SW8 1 RH 
Tel: 020 7820 3606 
rsctherapy47@hotmail.com

Shepherd's Bush Advice Centre 
338 Uxbridge Road 
London W12 7LL 
Tel: 0208 753 5910
www.lbhf.gov.uk/sbac 
sbac@lbhf.gov.uk

Shepherd's Bush Families Project 
58 Bulwer Street 
London W12 8AP 
Tel: 020 8749 2371 

Provider HSD/CSD
Tel 020 8753 1179
145 King Street, London W6 9XY

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