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Your status is now an eVisa — an online record. Create a free UKVI account to see it, then get a share code to give an employer or landlord.

This is free. Never pay anyone for an account or a share code.

Yes. Update them in your UKVI account. Out-of-date passport details can cause delays at the border and problems when you prove your status.

Contact UK Visas and Immigration. You can use webchat or phone, and they can help you recover your account or correct an eVisa.

You can apply for Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE). If you already have UPE, you can apply for a further 24 months. There is no fee.

Apply only in the last 90 days before your current permission ends. If you apply earlier, the application is rejected and you must apply again. Don’t miss the end date: if you apply in time, you keep your right to work and rent while you wait for a decision.

The refugee family reunion route has been closed to new applications since September 2025. Partners and children of people with protection may be able to apply under the main family visa rules instead.

These rules are complex and costly. Speak to a regulated adviser before you apply.

Use only advisers registered with the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA), or a regulated solicitor. You cannot get your money back from an unregulated adviser.

GOV.UK is the only official UK immigration website.

Most employers check your right to work online, using a share code from your UKVI account.

You must claim asylum in person, in the UK. If you have nowhere to live and no money, tell the Home Office when you claim.

You can apply for housing and cash support with form ASF1. If there’s a problem with your accommodation or support, contact Migrant Help.

Asylum support usually ends 42 days after the decision, so act straight away. 1) Contact the council housing team today and tell them the date your support ends. 2) Apply for Universal Credit at once and ask for an advance payment. 3) Check your status in your UKVI account (eVisa). 4) Your National Insurance number is usually in your decision letter — if not, apply for one.

Migrant Help can help you with these steps, free: 0808 801 0503.

For people who claimed asylum from 2 March 2026, refugee status is now given for 30 months and then reviewed. If you still need protection, it is renewed. Before this change, refugees were usually given 5 years.

Check the end date in your UKVI account (eVisa). These rules are new and changing — speak to a registered adviser about your own case.

Usually not. You can ask for permission to work if you have waited more than 12 months for a decision and the delay is not your fault. From 26 March 2026, permission only covers certain graduate-level jobs. Apply with form PTW1.

Volunteering is allowed. Working without permission can stop your asylum support.

If you have a low income, you may get legal aid — free legal advice — for example in asylum cases or if you are losing your home.

Apply online if you live in the UK and have the right to work. You can start work before it arrives if you can prove your right to work. It can take up to 4 weeks. Helpline: 0800 141 2079.

From 1 April 2026: £12.71 an hour if you are 21 or over, £10.85 if you are 18 to 20, and £8.00 if you are under 18 or an apprentice.

Since 6 April 2026, eligible employees get Statutory Sick Pay from their first day off sick.

Check your tax code and pay in your free HMRC personal tax account. If you’ve paid too much, you can claim it back there or by contacting HMRC.

If you work for yourself — for example cleaning or building — you must register with HMRC as a sole trader if you earn more than £1,000 in a tax year (6 April to 5 April). You’ll then do a Self Assessment tax return each year.

For serious abuse or exploitation at work — threats, a passport taken, wages held back or being controlled — call the Fair Work Agency free on 0800 432 0804 (Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm; interpreters available). If you are in danger right now, call 999.

For other pay problems, such as unpaid wages or pay below the minimum wage, use the official pay and work rights complaint form, or get free advice from Acas on 0300 123 1100.

Your employer must not keep your passport or ID. If you are forced to work, can’t leave, or are told you owe a debt you can never pay off, call the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline: 08000 121 700 (free, 8am–6pm every day). If you are in danger right now, call 999.

UACT can also help you, free of charge.

Apply online. If you can’t, call the free Universal Credit helpline: 0800 328 5644. Citizens Advice can also help you claim: 0800 144 8 444.

Important: if your visa says ‘no recourse to public funds’, applying could affect your permission to stay. Check first, or ask us.

You can claim Child Benefit for each child you are responsible for. Child Benefit counts as public funds, so check your visa conditions first.

Child Benefit Office: 0300 200 3100.

You may be able to get free childcare hours or help with childcare costs. Check what you can get on GOV.UK.

Contact your local council as soon as possible. In England, the council must help if you are legally homeless or will become homeless within the next 8 weeks.

Since 1 May 2026 in England, landlords can’t use Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, and you can end your tenancy with two months’ notice. Landlords must not refuse you because you get benefits or have children. Renting rules are different in Wales. Ask us, or see Shelter Cymru.

Your landlord must protect your deposit in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of getting it. When you move out, they must return it within 10 days of you both agreeing how much you get back.

If you disagree about money taken off, the deposit scheme can settle it for free.

Enter your postcode on GOV.UK to find your council’s website and contact details.

Anyone in England or Wales can register with a GP. You don’t need proof of address, immigration status, ID or an NHS number. If a surgery refuses, it must write to you within 14 days explaining why.

Yes. In England, your GP surgery must book a professional interpreter if you need one, and you don’t pay for it. Tell them when you book and say which language you speak. Hospitals can arrange one too — ask when you get your appointment.

Children under 16 should not interpret for you. If you need help, contact UACT.

Use NHS 111 online or call 111 — it’s free and open 24 hours a day. For a life-threatening emergency, call 999.

Search by postcode for dentists taking new NHS patients. For urgent dental pain, use NHS 111.

The NHS Low Income Scheme can help pay for prescriptions, dental treatment, eye tests, glasses and travel to hospital. Helpline: 0300 330 1343.

Apply through your local council. If you’ve just arrived, contact the council’s school admissions team — children can join a school during the year too.

From the 2026 to 2027 school year in England, children qualify if you get Universal Credit, whatever your household income. The rules are different in Wales — ask us. Even with ‘no recourse to public funds’, your child may still qualify — ask the school or council.

If you live in Great Britain on a Ukraine scheme, you can usually drive on your Ukrainian licence for up to 3 years after becoming resident (some people longer). After that, you need to exchange it for a GB licence.

If you passed your test in Ukraine before 28 December 2021, the GB licence will be for automatic cars only.

It depends on the country that issued your licence. GOV.UK lets you check whether you can exchange it and how to apply.

Report Fraud replaced Action Fraud. Report it online or call 0300 123 2040. If money left your account, call your bank straight away.

For visas, only trust GOV.UK. Fake websites pretend to be official to take your money and data.

If someone calls you about your bank account, hang up and call 159 to reach your own bank safely.

Call the free National Domestic Abuse Helpline, 24 hours a day: 0808 2000 247. If you are in danger and can’t speak, call 999 and then press 55.

Help is available even if you don’t have settled status in the UK.

Search for jobs on the government’s Find a job service. If you claim Universal Credit, your Jobcentre work coach can help too.

On a horticulture Seasonal Worker visa you must be paid at least £12.71 an hour and for at least 32 hours each week. Write down your hours and keep your payslips.

Tell your scheme operator. For unpaid wages, use the official pay and work rights complaint form or call Acas: 0300 123 1100. If you are threatened, your passport is taken or you can’t leave, call the Fair Work Agency free on 0800 432 0804, or the Modern Slavery Helpline: 08000 121 700.

Yes, but there is a limit. From April 2026, only up to £11.10 a day (£77.70 a week) for accommodation counts towards the minimum wage. If you are charged more, your employer may be paying you less than the minimum wage.

Deductions for things you need for the job, such as uniforms or tools, must not take your pay below the minimum wage. Check with the official calculator.

Every worker has the right to a payslip. Write down the hours you work each day and compare them with your payslip. Use the official calculator to check you get at least the minimum wage.

If you are underpaid, ask your employer in writing. If that doesn’t work, contact Acas or the Fair Work Agency.

Write by email or text so you have a record. You can copy this and fill in the gaps: “Dear [name], I have not been paid correctly for [dates]. I worked [number] hours and was paid £[amount]. Please pay the missing £[amount] by [date]. Thank you, [your name].”

Keep copies of your payslips and your own record of hours. If they don’t pay, contact Acas — time limits apply.

First you must contact Acas for ‘early conciliation’ — it’s free and may solve the problem without a hearing.

Time limits are short. If the problem happened on or after 1 October 2026, you usually have 6 months minus 1 day; if it happened before that, usually 3 months minus 1 day. Contact Acas quickly.

You usually do if you’re self-employed or have untaxed income, for example from renting out property. Register by 5 October after the tax year ends, then file online and pay by 31 January.

A late tax return means a £100 penalty, even if you owe no tax.

You register the company with Companies House. You’ll need a company name, a UK address, at least one director and at least one shareholder. Directors must also verify their identity with Companies House. Then register the company for Corporation Tax.

A company that has stopped trading can be struck off the register with form DS01. It costs £18. If you’re self-employed, tell HMRC you’ve stopped and send your final tax return.

MoneyHelper is free and backed by the government. It helps you find free debt advice by phone, online or in person — you don’t need to pay a company for this.

Apply to your local council to join its housing register. Waiting lists are often long, so ask the council about other options too.

In England and Wales, register the birth within 42 days at a register office. Registering is free. After that you may be able to claim Child Benefit.

UK ENIC, the official national agency, can give you a Statement of Comparability showing how your qualification compares to UK ones. There is a fee. Employers and universities make the final decision.

You can make a money claim online if it’s for £25,000 or less. There’s a court fee, but you may get help paying it.

If you have a low income or get certain benefits and have little savings, you may pay less or nothing. Most non-UK nationals can apply too.

This may be a hate crime. Report it to the police online or by calling 101. In an emergency, call 999.

Call 101 or report it online. Call 999 only if someone is in danger or a crime is happening right now.

Be careful. A UKVI account, eVisa, share codes and UPE applications are free. Only registered advisers or solicitors can legally give immigration advice for money — check the official register before you pay anyone.

Never give your passport, UKVI login or bank details to an ‘agent’. If you have paid a scammer, call your bank and report it to Report Fraud: 0300 123 2040.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) helps with extra living costs if a long-term health condition or disability makes everyday life or getting around harder. You can get it whether or not you work.

This counts as ‘public funds’. If your visa says ‘no recourse to public funds’, check before you apply — or ask us.

Access to Work can pay for things like special equipment, a support worker or help with travel to work. It is not counted as public funds.

A Blue Badge lets you park closer to where you need to go if you have severe mobility problems. You apply through your local council on GOV.UK.

A Disabled Facilities Grant from your council can help pay for changes such as ramps, a stairlift or an accessible bathroom.

If you care for someone for at least 35 hours a week and they get certain disability benefits, you may get Carer’s Allowance.

This counts as ‘public funds’. If your visa says ‘no recourse to public funds’, check before you apply — or ask us.

Ask your council’s adult social services for a free needs assessment. They will look at what help you need with daily life.

Citizens Advice can help you claim benefits for free. You can also contact UACT — we can go through the form with you in Ukrainian or English.

Use the official course finder to search for free and funded courses near you. Free careers advice in England is now given by DWP careers advisers: 0800 072 0288 (Monday to Friday, 8am–6pm).

Skills Bootcamps are free courses of up to 16 weeks for adults aged 19 or over, often with a job interview at the end. Free Courses for Jobs offer free Level 3 qualifications to eligible adults.

English classes for speakers of other languages are called ESOL. They are often free if you get certain benefits or have refugee status. Search for ESOL courses near you, or ask your local college or council.

An apprenticeship is a real job with training, so you earn a wage while you learn. You can apply from age 16, and there is no upper age limit.

People on the Ukraine schemes and people with refugee status can usually get student finance and pay ‘home’ tuition fees. People waiting for an asylum decision usually can’t.

Check your eligibility before your course starts.

GOV.UK has a guide to buying a home. You will usually need a mortgage, a solicitor or licensed conveyancer, and to budget for Stamp Duty.

In England, first-time buyers pay no Stamp Duty on the first £300,000, if the home costs £500,000 or less. Use the official calculator to check your amount.

With Shared Ownership you buy part of a home and pay rent on the rest. Schemes change, so always check the current rules on GOV.UK.

GOV.UK also has guidance on selling a home. If the property is not your main home, you may have to pay Capital Gains Tax on any profit.

Banks usually ask for proof of identity and proof of address. If you are new to the UK or have no credit history, ask for a fee-free basic bank account — you don’t need to pass a credit check.

Council Tax is a yearly charge from your local council for local services. If you are the only adult in your home, you usually get 25% off. On a low income you may also get Council Tax Reduction.

You need a TV Licence to watch or record live TV on any channel or device, or to use BBC iPlayer. If you don’t do either, you don’t need one — and you can tell TV Licensing.

In England, since 1 May 2026 a landlord needs a legal reason (for example, rent arrears or selling the home) and must give you the right notice. Only a court can make you leave.

If your landlord changes the locks, removes your things or threatens you without a court order, that is illegal eviction — call your council, or the police on 999 if you are in danger. Contact the council as soon as you get any notice.

In England, a landlord can raise the rent only once a year, with a formal notice giving at least two months’ warning.

If you think the new rent is higher than for similar homes nearby, you can challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal. Apply before the new rent starts.

Tell your landlord in writing, with photos and dates. Keep copies. Mould can harm health, so see your GP if anyone is unwell.

If nothing happens, contact your council’s private housing (environmental health) team — they can inspect and order repairs. If you rent from a council or housing association, they must investigate damp and mould within set time limits; if they don’t, complain and then contact the Housing Ombudsman.

In England, since 1 May 2026 landlords and agents must not refuse you because you get benefits or have children. Tell your council’s private housing team or get advice from Shelter.

Landlords must check every tenant’s right to rent, but they must not refuse you just because you are not British. If your extension is pending, they can confirm your status with the Home Office.

Contact your council’s housing team as early as possible — ideally as soon as you know you need to move. The council must help if you will become homeless within 8 weeks.

Ask the council about help with a deposit or rent in advance. If you work or get Universal Credit, the housing part of Universal Credit can help pay rent.

In England: a holding deposit of no more than 1 week’s rent, a deposit of no more than 5 weeks’ rent (if the yearly rent is under £50,000), and — since 1 May 2026 — no more than 1 month’s rent in advance. Most other fees are banned.

Your deposit must be protected in a government scheme within 30 days. Ask the landlord which scheme they used.

Write by email or text so you have a record. You can copy this and fill in the gaps: “Dear [name], I am writing about a problem at [address]: [describe the problem]. I first noticed it on [date]. Please arrange a repair by [date]. Thank you, [your name].”

Attach photos. If nothing happens, contact your council’s private housing team.

You may get £150 off your electricity bill through the Warm Home Discount if you get Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit) or are on a low income. Most people get it automatically.

If you use a prepayment meter, your supplier may give you temporary credit or a fuel voucher. Your local council may also have emergency help.

Ask your local council about crisis support — many councils can help with food, energy or water costs in an emergency. Food banks usually need a referral voucher; Citizens Advice, your council or UACT can help you get one.

If you’re pregnant or have a child under 4 and get certain benefits, Healthy Start can help pay for food and milk.

A free, anonymous benefits calculator listed on GOV.UK can give you an estimate. GOV.UK warns that the calculators may not give accurate results if you’re not a British or Irish citizen — so ask Citizens Advice or UACT to check with you.

If you are over State Pension age and on a low income, check Pension Credit — it also opens the door to other help, such as the Warm Home Discount.

If you or someone else is in danger now, call 999. For urgent help that isn’t life-threatening, call 111 or find your local NHS urgent mental health helpline. Samaritans listen any time, free: 116 123.

For stress, anxiety or low mood, you can refer yourself to NHS talking therapies — you don’t need to see a GP first.

You can contact free, confidential local NHS drug and alcohol services yourself — you don’t need a referral from a GP. If someone is very unwell after drinking or taking drugs, call 999.

Yes. You can refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies — no GP needed — and ask for an interpreter. Interpreters are free in the NHS.

If you feel you can’t cope right now, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option, or Samaritans on 116 123. If you are in danger, call 999.

Settling permanently is called indefinite leave to remain (ILR). Who can apply depends on your visa — for example, people with refugee status or humanitarian protection may be eligible. Time on the Ukraine schemes does not count towards settlement.

You can usually apply for citizenship 12 months after getting ILR. These rules are changing, so speak to a regulated adviser before you apply.

You usually need at least 10 years of UK National Insurance contributions to get any new State Pension. Check your National Insurance record and your State Pension forecast online — it’s free.

Don’t ignore it — many letters have deadlines. Call UACT on 020 8629 2323 (Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm). We’ll explain what the letter means and what to do next, in Ukrainian or English. Please don’t send letters or personal documents by email.

Yes — if you applied before your current permission ended. Your rights to work, rent and claim benefits continue while you wait.

If an employer or landlord asks, they can check your status with the Home Office even while your application is pending. Keep the email confirming your application.

No. At the moment, time on the Ukraine schemes (including UPE) does not count towards settlement (indefinite leave to remain), and there is no special settlement route for Ukrainians.

Some people may qualify through another visa, for example a work or family visa. Rules are changing, so get free advice from a registered adviser before you switch — never pay someone who isn’t registered.

Give them a share code from your UKVI account — it shows your current permission. If you applied to extend before your permission ended, they can ask the Home Office to confirm your status while you wait.

An employer must not dismiss you, and a landlord must not refuse you, just because your eVisa shows an old end date. If you are dismissed, get advice quickly — strict time limits apply.

Short visits are usually fine. Long absences can affect a future UPE application: the Home Office looks at whether you still live in the UK.

Before a long trip, check the UPE guidance, keep proof of your life here (job, home, school) and make sure you can return before your permission ends.

Ukrainian passports and documents are issued by Ukrainian authorities, not by the UK. Use only the official website of the Embassy of Ukraine in the UK to book appointments and check the rules.

Be careful of paid ‘agents’ promising fast passports — use official services only.

Most food banks give food for a few days and need a referral voucher. Your council, Citizens Advice or UACT can help you get one. Your council may also have emergency help with food and bills.

Contact your water company — most have a cheaper ‘social tariff’ or payment plans for people on a low income. The Consumer Council for Water can help if you get stuck.

You can ask for the decision to be looked at again — this is called ‘mandatory reconsideration’. It’s free. You usually need to ask within one month of the date on your decision letter. If you still disagree, you can appeal to a tribunal.

Probably, if you have three or more children. From 6 April 2026, Universal Credit includes the child amount for every child, not just the first two. It is not backdated to before April 2026.

Check your Universal Credit statement. If the extra amount is missing, ask in your online journal.

Contact your local council. Since April 2026, councils run the Crisis and Resilience Fund: crisis payments for urgent needs like food and energy, and housing payments if Universal Credit or Housing Benefit doesn’t cover your rent.

Each council has its own rules and form — search your council’s website for ‘Crisis and Resilience Fund’. For food today, see food banks.

Some London attractions offer low-cost tickets if you get Universal Credit or certain other benefits — for example £1 tickets for the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace, £1 entry to Kew Gardens (also with Pension Credit), and reduced-price tickets at London Zoo.

You usually need to book online in advance and bring proof of your benefit. Prices and rules can change, so check the official website before you go.

Many big museums and galleries in London are free to enter, including the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum. Local libraries are free too — you can borrow books and use computers and the internet.

In England, if you’re disabled or you’ve reached State Pension age, you may get a free bus pass from your council. In Wales, older people can usually get one from age 60.

If you or your partner get Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or income-related ESA, you may get a Funeral Expenses Payment. It can help with burial or cremation fees, travel, documents and up to £1,000 for other costs such as the funeral director.

You must apply within 6 months of the funeral. You can also apply before the funeral if you have an invoice or signed contract from the funeral director. To claim by phone, call the Bereavement Service: 0800 151 2012.

In England and Wales, register the death within 5 days of being told you can. The registrar can also offer Tell Us Once — one way to tell most government departments, such as the DWP, HMRC and the council, at the same time.

After registering, you’ll get a certificate for burial or cremation to give to the funeral director.

You may get Bereavement Support Payment if you were married, in a civil partnership or living together as if married, and you were under State Pension age. If you weren’t married, you usually need to have been getting Child Benefit or been pregnant. It isn’t affected by your income or savings.

It can be up to £3,500 at first and then £350 a month for 18 months. Claim within 3 months of the death to get the full amount; after 21 months you usually can’t get anything.

We are so sorry. In England, the Children’s Funeral Fund pays burial or cremation fees and up to £300 for a coffin for a child under 18, or a baby stillborn after 24 weeks. It doesn’t depend on your income, and the funeral director or provider can usually claim it for you.

In Wales, council burial and cremation fees for children are waived and families can get £500 — the registrar will tell you how.

Grief can be very hard, and you don’t have to cope alone. Your GP can help, and you can refer yourself to NHS talking therapies. The NHS page lists organisations that support people after a death, including Cruse Bereavement Support.

If you’re thinking about ending your life, call 999 or Samaritans on 116 123 — any time, free.

If you or your partner get Universal Credit, Pension Credit or income-related ESA, you may get a one-off Sure Start Maternity Grant of £500. It’s usually for a first child — but if you came to the UK from Ukraine or Afghanistan, or have refugee status or humanitarian protection, you may get it even if you have other children. Claim from 11 weeks before the due date until 6 months after the birth.

If you work, you may get Statutory Maternity Pay from your employer. If you can’t get it — for example you’re self-employed or recently stopped working — you may get Maternity Allowance for up to 39 weeks.

Yes — NHS prescriptions are free while you’re pregnant and for 12 months after the birth, and NHS dental treatment is free too. Ask your midwife, doctor or health visitor for a maternity exemption certificate — they apply for you.

Seeing a GP and emergency treatment in A&E are free for everyone. Most hospital treatment is also free for people on the Ukraine schemes, refugees, people who have claimed asylum, and people who paid the immigration health surcharge with their visa.

If a hospital asks you to pay, show your status and ask to speak to the overseas visitors team. Don’t avoid treatment you need.