By Emma McClelland - 24 February 2023
Like many refugees on the Ukraine Family Scheme, *Maryna and her two children found themselves on the brink of homelessness. Her story illustrates the uphill battle that refugees under this scheme experience, and demonstrates how the UK's long-standing structural challenges with housing hinder refugee integration.
Maryna and her 12 and 13-year-old children came to the UK on the Ukraine Family Scheme (UFS), which allows Ukrainian nationals to join family members in the UK who are British citizens or have certain specific types of immigration status.
Getting to the UK was not without ordeal, as Maryna recalls. "The hardest part was crossing the border as we waited for 10 hours in line. The weather was cold and then we were sick for a month." Thankfully, however, Maryna and her children were given generous support from kind strangers along the way. "They provided us with food, overnight stays and tickets for transfers. To be honest, I have never felt such support from strangers in my life," she recalls. "I remember all of them and pray for them in my thoughts."
The pressures of precarious housing
After arriving in the UK in April 2022, Maryna and her children stayed with a relative and their family in London. But their relationship later deteriorated, and Maryna and her children were asked to move out. Maryna reached out to us in early July of 2022, with an eviction date of 20th July.
Maryna's relative's husband had told her she couldn't apply for benefits using their address, and she was anxious about how she would be able to afford housing in the private rented sector. While Maryna had found a job, she wasn’t paid much, and was only working part-time in order to make sure she was giving her children the support they needed.
Of the government's three Ukraine schemes, only the Homes for Ukraine scheme offers direct financial support for refugees, hosts, and local authorities. This support isn't replicated across the UFS, even though Ukrainians face the same practical hurdles when they arrive and try to settle in the UK, regardless of their immigration status.
Our adviser, Andrei, quickly got in touch with Maryna's local council, filled in a homelessness application and contacted the children's school to let them know about the safeguarding risk. Meanwhile, we helped Maryna get to grips with Universal Credit, creating her an account, explaining how it works, and talking her through how income affects this type of benefit. We submitted an application, and Maryna, concerned about being penalised if she didn't go, took a day off work to attend an initial JobCentre appointment.
Temporary accommodation, a temporary solution
While this was going on, Andrei got in touch with the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs (MASH) and chased the local council's housing team, reiterating the urgency of the situation. By this point, it was 13th July, and - with the eviction deadline looming - the clock was ticking. And then time ran out. On 14th July, nearly a week before the deadline they'd originally been given by their relative, Maryna and her children were evicted. Hours later, they were thrown a lifeline and given temporary accommodation in a local hotel.
Relieved that the imminent threat had been dealt with, we helped Maryna apply for housing benefit, uploaded her children's birth certificates to her UC account, and made a child benefit application. Keen to settle into her local community, Maryna wanted to attend an ESOL (English as a second language) course, so we signed her up for classes at a local college.
"I realised I knew so much and yet so little about the UK," Maryna recalls. "As the months passed, my ear listened and adjusted to the English language. I was surprised that there are more than 200 different nationalities here. It helps us to feel more relaxed and it makes it more interesting to live among people with different cultures, faiths and customs.
"However, at the same time, I have realised that all people are the same with the same needs: everyone wants to live, have a family, work, raise children, and have a better future."
The struggles of accessing social welfare
One of the most frustrating challenges for us, and Maryna, was accessing housing benefit, as nobody from the council assisted her with this. We applied for her and she continued to work, monitoring her account with the local council. In the coming months, the council stated that she was either ineligible for housing benefit or being overpaid, despite her account stating otherwise. We had to submit two appeals, one of which we won.
The situation was further complicated by the fact that housing benefit payments depend on income, which needs to be proved, and Maryna had been in and out of housekeeping jobs throughout the autumn. Some of the jobs had failed to provide documentation that would have enabled her to prove her income for housing benefit purposes.
We were the only people who could help Maryna with this, as she struggled to communicate with council staff using a translator via email, although - in the end - her determination helped her to overcome this significant barrier.
Settling into life in the UK
In January 2023, Maryna signed a two-year tenancy agreement for a flat in a neighbouring area. She updated her UC journal with these details and our adviser, Nadiia, went above and beyond, helping her register with utility companies to alleviate some of the stress this can cause. Maryna feels understandably exhausted at having to deal with so many issues, but is determined to stay 'calm and resilient'.
Describing Andrei as her 'guardian angel', Maryna reflects on all the challenges they solved together. "I contacted him a hundred times and every time he was here to help me with my problems. I am very grateful for all his help and understanding."
On her family’s future, Maryna commented: "We are grateful for having an opportunity to stay safe. The children have adapted, but they miss Ukraine a lot. It is difficult to make any plans for the future as life can change unexpectedly. But we believe only in a bright future, peace and victory for Ukraine."
To support our team as they support the process of Ukrainian refugees' integration into life in the UK, please consider making a donation: https://www.workrightscentre.org/support-us
*Names changed for anonymity.
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