Welcome to another week.
The UK Home Office has published a list of support services for adults and children affected by domestic abuse in England and Wales.
The page offers the details of organisations tackling domestic abuse including services supporting the LGBTQ, religious, Black and Middle Eastern communities; as well as support for children, parents experiencing adolescent violence, those without settled status in the UK, and the elderly.
The list is very good in that it covers several kinds of abuse such as sexual assault, Female Genital Mutilation, forced marriage, economic abuse, stalking, honour based abuse and technological abuse.
There is also a dedicated section for people who don’t have settled status in the UK, to apply for settlement and access to benefits.
The section says:
“If your relationship with a British citizen or someone settled in the UK has broken down because of domestic abuse you may be able to apply for settlement as a victim of domestic violence.
The destitution domestic violence concession provides help if you are in the UK on a temporary visa as a partner, your relationship has broken down because of domestic violence and you have no money to support yourself.
The destitution domestic violence concession offers domestic abuse victims 3 months’ leave outside the immigration rules with the ability to apply for access to public funds.
This provides the opportunity to gain a temporary immigration status independent of the abuser and to fund safe accommodation, where victims of domestic abuse may consider applying for indefinite leave to remain or deciding to return to their country of origin.”
The page also offers information on how to get welfare benefits and housing advice, and access to support from your local job centre. The page explains that even if a job centre is closed, staff will still meet vulnerable people including those fleeing domestic abuse.
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