Contents:
Are you someone with social care needs?
If you are homeless and destitute and
- have children in your family or household or
- are disabled, elderly or suffering from long term serious illness or
- need care and attention for some other reason
then even if you are not entitled to council housing or benefits (as explained on other pages), you may be able to get limited help with housing and financial support from your local council. You must ask for this from the social services department. The law on this is complex and you should seek legal advice and help before making an application if you can.
What documents might you be asked for?
If you ask social services for help with housing or financial support, they will check why you cannot get help from the housing department or from state benefits, which means checking your immigration status. They will often check this with the UKBA.
Social services help
You will only get help from social services if you have children or social care needs. The help may be basic accommodation, food vouchers or money.
If you are an asylum seeker with children, you will not get housing or living costs from social services because the UKBA should house and support you if you are destitute.
If you are an asylum seeker who has social care needs you can ask social services to house you.
But even then, if you
- have refugee status in another European country and not the UK, or
- are an EEA national who does not have the right to reside in the UK as an EEA student, EEA worker or self-employed person, person with the permanent right to reside or a family member of one of these, or
- are a refused asylum seeker who has not cooperated with removal directions, or
- are an overstayer or someone who entered illegally or who has broken the immigration laws
then the social services department does not have to provide you with any help at all except the minimum necessary to avoid a breach of human rights. In some cases, this might be simply offering you the fare home.
If it is impossible for you to go home because:
- you cannot travel because you are ill or disabled
- your children have been in the UK so long it is unfair to make them leave
- you have close family members in the UK who cannot travel home with you
- you would not be safe if you went home
you can apply to stay in the UK. While you make the application you may be able to get housing and living costs from social services, although once the application is being considered by the UKBA you may be able to get asylum support. Get advice about this if possible before you go to social services.
Other housing help
All people with social care needs can apply for accommodation from housing associations but may face problems if they cannot show how they would pay the rent.
There are some small charitable projects that offer food and shelter to destitute people. Contact one of the advice agencies to see if one may be able to help you.
