As the cost of living continues to impact us all, the people we support are being pushed further into destitution and crisis.
Sara had a home, a job, and a family in the Middle East but didn’t have the freedom to practice her religion. Knowing she could be prosecuted or even killed, she had to leave.
What she hoped would be a fresh start to live freely has instead turned into a nightmare.
Not only has she been left in unsuitable and inadequate emergency accommodation for eight months, but she also spent over three months of that without access to any of the financial support she was entitled to.
People seeking asylum housed in this kind of accommodation are provided with £8 a week in financial support. This is paid onto an Aspen Card. However, Sara’s card was never delivered.
This is something we’ve seen happen all too frequently.
Donate today and can help ensure people like Sara’s basic needs are met.
“I wish I could live independently, a normal free life, I could choose. I will never forget these days. My plan for the future is to help others who experience what I’m going through now.”
– Sara
“It took months to receive my aspen card. I kept contacting the Home Office. No one gave me a clear answer. Then one of my friends introduced me to Refugee Action. They advocated on my behalf and helped me get my Aspen card. They also helped ensure I received the backdated payments I had missed”
More and more people, like Sara, are being pushed into crisis, through lack of essential support and unfit accommodation.
“My hotel is not as bad as others I’ve heard; we don’t have rats running around our rooms”
The rise of living cost impacts us a lot, every penny counts. If we had job, we could work and earn our living but with our weekly allowance, how we supposed to buy our essentials? “Our mental health is deteriorating, some become suicidal. This will kill us gradually My doctor was worried about my health and weight loss. They suggested I eat more fresh food. It’s laughable. How am I supposed to with only £8 a week.
It seems we are forgotten, like we don’t exist. Without help from Refugee action and their supporters, I don’t know how we could continue.”
TAKE ACTION
Will you donate today so we can continue advocate for them and provide vital support services?
could provide essentials, such as nappies, or travel support to people left without access to their funds.
could host twice weekly case worker coffee mornings in hotels providing advice and support.
could fund sessions with an Asylum Crisis case worker, offering vital support to people pushed into crisis.