Advice & Advocacy
We offer non-judgemental professional advice for Housing & Welfare, No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) & Section 17, Asylum Support, and Access to Education.
Our advice service is currently paused for new referrals, please try one of the other organisations listed below.
Asylum Support
Our advisors can support with S.95, S.4 and Sch.10 applications, we can make Change of Accommodation requests for clients, address issues or delays with ASPEN cards and assist clients in the Asylum Support Tribunal. We can also support our asylum seeking clients to address safeguarding concerns and worries, to bridge the gap between clients and statutory services.
No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) and Section 17
Our expert team assists destitute migrant families to approach their local authority for housing and subsistence support under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989. We can fully assess clients to advise them of their rights and entitlements, support with gathering evidence, and where necessary, refer to Community Care Solicitors. Our advisors provide ongoing, holistic casework support throughout the Section 17 journey. Our team can also refer and advocate to legal professions for NRPF clients submitting a Change of Conditions application.
Housing
Our dedicated advisors can advise and support clients from all migrant backgrounds entitled to statutory housing support. The Advice and Advocacy Team can support homeless clients or those facing eviction to make a Homeless Application, obtain emergency accommodation and understand the duties owed to them under the Housing Act 1996. We can support complex housing cases such as where clients face homelessness due to Domestic Abuse. We have strong working relationships with Legal Aid Community Care and Housing Solicitors to support our clients facing Illegal evictions, landlord harassment and evictions under Section 8 and Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988.
Welfare Benefits
The Welfare Benefit system can be complex to navigate, AFRIL Advisors can provide comprehensive information on entitlements and support clients to make applications for a range of benefits. Through our 'dependance to independence' approach to support we equip clients with the skills and knowledge of how to engage with the benefits system in a positive way. Where clients face difficulties accessing their entitlements our team can refer to legal advisors.