Seeking Refuge? - Rights of Women
Seeking Refuge? - Rights of Women
Seeking Refuge? - Rights of Women
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11<br />
Financial and other support<br />
through the asylum process<br />
Introduction<br />
If you have made an application for protection in<br />
the UK, you may be entitled to asylum support<br />
while a decision is made on whether or not you<br />
will be allowed to remain in the UK. Asylum<br />
support includes cash payments and<br />
accommodation.<br />
Whether or not you are entitled to asylum support<br />
depends on your financial situation, your personal<br />
circumstances (such as whether you have a health<br />
problem or disability) and what stage your<br />
application for protection in the UK is at. This<br />
Chapter will give you information on what<br />
financial and other support you may be entitled<br />
to, and what support is available for those who<br />
have had their claim for protection refused.<br />
The law discussed here is very complicated.<br />
This Chapter is written to give you<br />
information about the law, but it is not legal<br />
advice. Asylum support law is a different<br />
area <strong>of</strong> law to immigration and asylum law. If<br />
you have applied for protection in the UK, or<br />
are thinking about doing this, it is very<br />
important that you seek legal advice from a<br />
solicitor or immigration advisor. You can also<br />
contact <strong>Rights</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Women</strong>’s legal advice line.<br />
See Chapter 12 at the end <strong>of</strong> this book for<br />
information about organisations that may be<br />
able to assist you with immigration law and /<br />
or asylum support law issues.<br />
“<br />
Asylum support is the financial<br />
support that asylum-seekers<br />
who have not had a decision<br />
made on their case receive. It<br />
may include cash for essential<br />
things and accommodation.<br />
Asylum support used to be<br />
called NASS support.<br />
”<br />
For more information about the law that<br />
determines who is entitled to protection in the<br />
UK, see Chapter 2.<br />
“<br />
If you have a question about<br />
your asylum support, you should ask your<br />
case-owner or, if you don’t have a caseowner,<br />
you can contact the Asylum<br />
Support Customer Contact Centre on<br />
0845 602 1739 (open 09.00-21.00 Monday<br />
to Friday but not bank holidays).<br />
The case-owner is the person<br />
who works for the UKBA who is<br />
responsible for your case. You<br />
may have one case-owner<br />
throughout your case or you<br />
may have different case-owners<br />
at different stages in the<br />
process.<br />
”<br />
)<br />
Case-owners have a number <strong>of</strong> responsibilities<br />
including:<br />
- Interviewing you.<br />
- Making an initial decision on whether you<br />
should be granted protection in the UK or<br />
whether your claim should be refused.<br />
Your legal representative (or you, if you don’t<br />
have a legal representative) should be in close<br />
contact with your case-owner(s) throughout<br />
the process.<br />
65