1. Asylum Support for women with NRPF
Heike Langbein
Notre Dame Refugee Centre
Women for Refugee Women

2. Notre Dame Refugee Centre
Drop-in service on Mondays and Thursdays
Advice on Immigration, housing, welfare benefits
Drop-in Café
Counselling
Health
English Classes
Creative activities

3. Asylum support
Who is eligible for asylum support?
Asylum seeker
Ongoing claim
Destitute

4. Asylum support
Section 95 support Subsistence only (£36.95 weekly per person) or Subsistence and accommodation

5. Section 98 : emergency support
Asylum support
Section 98 : emergency support
Support for asylum seekers ‘who it appears to the Secretary of
State may be destitute’
Support may be provided until it is determined whether support
may be provided under Section 95

6. Asylum support Support for refused asylum seekers: Section 4 support
Eligibility
Destitution and meet one of the five conditions below
Taking all reasonable steps to leave the UK
Unable to leave the UK because of a physical impediment to travel for some other medical reason
Unable to leave the UK because in the opinion of the Secretary of State there is no viable route of return
Application for judicial review and granted permission to proceed
Provision of accommodation is necessary to avoid breaching a person’s Human Rights

7. Asylum support
Section 4 support Accommodation and £35.39 a week (payment card)

8. Case studies Case study 1  What would you advise Anne?
Anne arrived in the UK in June 2016 and claimed asylum at Heathrow
Airport. During her screening interview, she told the Home Office officer
that she has an uncle living in London where she could stay. She stays
with her uncle for several months but he asks her to leave without any
prior notice. She becomes street homeless and has been sleeping on the
night bus for three nights.
 What would you advise Anne?

9. Case studies Case study 2  What are Sandra’s options?
Sandra arrived in the UK in She claimed asylum and was refused.
She submitted a fresh claim in 2012 which was refused in She
travelled to the Further Submissions Unit (FSU) in Liverpool in
December 2016 and received a decision from the Home Office three
days later stating that her submissions will not be considered as a fresh
claim. Sandra’s solicitor promises to challenge this decision by Judicial
Review. Sandra has been sofa-surfing in London for several years and
tells you that her friend has asked her to leave in two weeks time.
 What are Sandra’s options?

10. Case studies Case study 3  What would you advise Amina?
Amina arrived in the UK in She claimed asylum and
her claim was refused. She says that she is unable to obtain
new evidence in support of a fresh claim. She is 24 weeks
pregnant. The father of the child is not supportive and she has
been sleeping on her friend’s sofa for the past few months. Her
friend is unable to accommodate her any longer.
 What would you advise Amina?

11. Other options for women with NRPF
Social Services (Support under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989, Care Act) Hosting Schemes Winter Night Shelters

12. Questions? heikelangbein@notredamerc.org.uk