Last week, the British government released on its official website its assistance policies for foreigners ( including short-term visa holders such as spouse visas, work visas, study abroad visas, etc. ), such as how to receive public funds, apply benefits, or obtain other related help.
For non-British friends who work, study, or start a business in the UK, if you encounter difficulties during the epidemic, this guide is still very useful.
The British government has introduced a total of 8 assistance measures (unemployment is in the third article, being unable to pay rent is in the sixth article) , providing solutions to various difficulties that foreigners may encounter during the epidemic in the UK. I will also explain it one by one in Chinese:
1. Open public funds to short-term visa holders and allow some foreigners to receive benefits
Normally, foreigners holding short-term visas in the UK cannot apply for public funds, but During the epidemic, the British Home Office will allow foreigners holding short-term visas who meet certain conditions to apply for public funds.
The so-called public funds (Public Funds), in other words, receive welfare.
According to the latest regulations of the government, non-British short-term visa holders holding spouse visas, child visas and other family visas (family visas), if they meet one of the following three conditions, can submit " To apply for public funds "change of conditions":
1. The applicant has fallen into poverty or is at risk of falling into poverty due to the epidemic.
2. The applicant's children are at risk because the applicant has lost his source of livelihood.
3. The applicant has other major financial difficulties.
Moreover, the British government has a clear definition of "poverty" in Article 1:
1. The applicant does not have stable housing or the means to obtain housing
2. The applicant has stable housing or the means to obtain housing, but it cannot meet their basic living needs
According to the regulations of the British government, the public funds that qualified foreigners can apply for include the following 19 items:
1. Income-based jobseeker's allowance (Income-based jobseeker's allowance)
2. Low-income subsidy (Income support)
3. Children Child tax credit
4. Universal credit
5. Working tax credit
6. Social fund payment
7. Child Benefit
8. Housing allowance (Housing benefit)
9. Council tax benefit (Council tax benefit)
10. Council tax reduction (Council tax reduction)
11. State tax relief (Domestic rate relief)
12. State pension credit (State pension credit)
13. Care subsidy ( Attendance allowance)
14. Severe disability allowance (Severe disablement allowance)
15. Personal independence payment (Personal independence payment)
16. Carer's allowance (Carer's allowance)
17. Disability living allowance (Disability living allowance)
18. Application allowed Allocation of local authority housing
19. Homeless housing assistance (Local authority homelessness assistance)
It should be noted that public funds do not include benefits based on National Insurance contributions, such as:
1 . Contribution-based jobseeker's allowance
2. Incapacity allowance
3. Superannuation
4. Widow and bereavement benefit
5. Guardian's allowance
6. Statutory maternity pay
The UK government also specifically states that this application is completely free, but relevant Benefits may be eliminated after the pandemic.
In terms of process, if you are submitting an application for benefits you must:
1. Complete the online application form
2. Provide a relevant existing Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) or passport
3. Provide supporting documentation to demonstrate that you comply with the policy for awarding public funds
You need to provide enough evidence for the reviewer to determine whether you are eligible. Without sufficient evidence, the application will not be accepted.
In addition, the applicant must provide relevant evidence to prove the financial and living conditions, and explain how the current financial situation will affect the applicant's future life.
Documents proving personal circumstances include:
1. 6 months of bank letters containing all accounts of the applicant and family members, even accounts belonging to children or rarely used accounts.
2. Pay stubs for the last 6 months
3. Each Monthly income and expenditure details
4. Recent lease agreement or mortgage statement
5. Recent utility bills and other bills
6. Recent P45/P60
7. Letter confirming employment period, working hours and salary (the writer should state that he or she is in the company position and provide contact details)
8. A recent letter from the local authority confirming that support is being provided
9. A recent letter from a registered charity or other organization providing support
10. A recent letter from a family member or friend providing support, detailing The extent of this support and the frequency with which it is provided
11. A recent letter confirming that the applicant or the applicant’s spouse or partner has received public funds
After talking about the latest welfare benefits for foreigners, let’s look at it next See other support policies.
2. Receiving COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment in the UK
1. The government will not charge any fees for testing or treatment, even if the test result is negative.
2. Immigration status will not be checked when testing or treating, meaning refugees are also available.
3. If you are vulnerable to COVID-19, your GP or the NHS will contact you and tell you that you must stay at home and isolate.
4. If you are in quarantine as a vulnerable person, you can get help, such as free medicine and food delivery from the government.
5. You can register with the official public health websites in England, Scotland and Wales for help.
Website: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable
6. If you think you are vulnerable to coronavirus and have not yet been contacted, you should consult your GP.
3. Help workers in the UK, that is, foreigners holding work visas
If your business cannot open due to the epidemic, if you have lost your job opportunity due to the epidemic, first, your employer can apply for support and subsidies from the government, and secondly , you can also get:
1. Statutory sick pay (if you are sick), £95.85 per week, paid for up to 28 weeks.
2. If you have paid enough National Insurance contributions, you can enjoy employment loans and support subsidies
3. Through the government’s job retention scheme (Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme), you can receive wages paid by the government for employers. Each person does not need to pay per month. Over £2,500.
4. Help for the self-employed
If you are self-employed, you can also apply for a subsidy (Coronavirus Self-employment Income Support Scheme.) through the "Self-employment Income Support Scheme." The same is not more than 2,500 pounds per person per month.
See the website for details: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme
5. Study in the UK
If you If you leave school due to the epidemic, the school will not be able to report it. In the meantime, you can also contact the embassy or consulate for support.
6. Unable to afford rent
The government has provided support for both tenants and landlords.
If you are a tenant:
1. If a landlord wants to evict a tenant, he must give three months' notice.
2. Landlords will not be able to evict tenants for 90 days starting on March 27, 2020.
If you are a landlord and have a loan:
1. If you are already in financial difficulties, you can apply to the bank for 3 months of rent holidays (repayment holidays).
2. If you think you may have financial difficulties, you need to contact the bank immediately and the bank will provide corresponding assistance.
7. Local authority support
If you or a member of your family has special care needs, including adult care and children's services, social services in local authorities across the UK can provide corresponding support.
Local authorities can provide support for people with illness, disability or mental illness and provide accommodation if they require care. You can contact your local government agency for more information.
8. Asylum seeker (asylum seeker)
If you are seeking asylum, you can seek help from the Government Asylum Help Center.
URL: https://www.gov.uk/asylum-support
If you have questions about any of the above, you can also refer to the British government official website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19- get-support-if-youre-a-migrant-living-in-the-uk
