Refugees and asylum seekers in Lambeth – the people for whom there “isn’t a safety net to fall through”

The South London Refugee Association has been helping refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants since the early 1990s. Over the last seven months I’ve spent time at their Balham drop in centre and Streatham HQ, meeting their clients and helping to produce My Life in South London for Refugee Week in the process. I talked … Continue reading Refugees and asylum seekers in Lambeth – the people for whom there “isn’t a safety net to fall through”

Rue’s story: Jobseeker’s Allowance and a bureaucratic black hole

Jobseeker’s Allowance is supposed to help people on low incomes survive gaps in their employment as they seek new work. One construction worker explains how a glitch in the benefits system left him unable to work, unable to claim JSA and unable to attend his own mother’s funeral… Rue was born on the Portuguese island … Continue reading Rue’s story: Jobseeker’s Allowance and a bureaucratic black hole