Ukraine Invasion: Part 27

[MagicFox]

27th thread, thanks for the continued company and analysis all

Ours were sent off for child benefit and were returned in a week.

Wait, the refugees have to follow job hunting rules in order to get their universal credit? When they have fled war, likely traumatised, and have a language barrier?

There also sometimes ‘gate-keeper’ types in some jobs who specialise in what they are not going to let people do or what apparently ‘can’t be done’ when it can ( but apologies to others who aren’t like this.)

Bbc article on rising food prices
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61814996

The UK also faces particular problems, it said. Two-thirds of the people on the Seasonal Agricultural Workers scheme were from Ukraine last year, but this year, Ukrainian men between 18 and 60-years-old have been told to stay at home and fight.

Gaps are being plugged by workers from further afield, but the new workers need training, and those costs will feed into price rises, IGD said.

The UK gets about 40% of its food from outside the country, so it is exposed to global food price rises.

And since Brexit, European Union producers are less likely to prioritise UK customers, it said.

Yes.

They have to do their commitments. Woman i am talking about has to sign up with 3 agencies this week and to start applying for jobs. Job centre were told she was waiting to here back about a job she was told she would get. She was forcably put on a english course without being told how many days a week it is, or how many weeks. Just turn up monday.

She now has job. But she cant start the job because she has no NI.

She now can't go to Ukrainian community meetings or help and advice meetings because attendence at the English course is compulsory. The English course which is inappropriate for her level of english and she is complaining its too easy.

That's appalling :(

That’s Tory Britain for you unfortunately.

Yup. Urgh.
I mean language classes are compulsory here but you don't have to search for jobs when you're integrating, your job is integrating so learning the language, adjusting to cultural differences, becoming part of community etc.

Today's report of losses

I do wonder how many more are wounded and out of action.

She has done absolutely everything right. She arrived three weeks ago. Got most of her paperwork done in 9 days of arrival. Put in all her applications straight away. Got a job.

The problem is categorically at the government end. The universal credit application and job centre are dreadful beyond words. And the NI number is HMRC. The council are a bag of spanners.

She wants to work. She doesn't want to take benefits. She doesn't want to be dependent on hosts. She doesn't want to be going to the food bank. And she has an actual signed contract to work. Her kids need to be in education, but thats not happening and everyone is giving the run around.

She literally could not have done anything 'better'. No one is listening. Just saying its not their problem.

So she will cost more and be begging for food because no one is actually doing their job.

Fire at natural gas pipeline at biggest Russian gas field in Urengoy russia.liveuamap.com/en/2022/16-june-fire-at-natural-gas-pipeline-at-biggest-russian-gas

Oh dear oh dear oh dear happily

Some rather impressive pictures.

Totally this! Causes so much stress and anxiety on top of dealing with health issues and then we have “benefits street” etc tv shows and numerous “benefits claimants are scrounges” articles all over the place or mentioned on the news and “fake claim fake claim” thus joe blogs who’s well enough off to never have had to worry about buying another loaf of bread or pint of milk thinks that the majority of disability benefits claimants are scrounging and lazy and don’t deserve help, consideration or respect!

the whole system is a broken crock of shit, now the nhs is too. I can only hope and pray that next time people remember and don’t fall for the Tory BS yet again.

Again I want to make the point that the system for the have-nots has been like this for a very long time. It is absolutely appalling. As others have said, add in language problems and trauma and perhaps medical needs and people's lives will be ruined.

Refugees (and people with health problems or who are made redundant etc) need calm, stability, seamless services and support. Not this devastating destructive system. It's like putting a foot on a drowning man's head and pushing down.

on another note .... hankies were needed in this household. Joyous.

twitter.com/olex_scherba/status/1537346596802859010

Refugees (and people with health problems or who are made redundant etc) need calm, stability, seamless services and support. Not this devastating destructive system. It's like putting a foot on a drowning man's head and pushing down.

Completely agree, its a terrible system.

For obvious reasons, given how shameful the system has been and the fact she still needs these documents to prove she or her children are Ukrainian for various other things, she doesn't really want to send off documents if she can get them verified instead.

I am now reading that you wont be paid child benefit until you have an NI number even if you apply for it immediately. The child benefit guidance says to apply without an NI number, so even if she does manage to get her documents verified and put in the claim today, she's still not going to see this money until she has an NI number issued and then presumably it will also take time from the NI number issued to then be passed onto the child benefit department.

So up to 16 weeks from doing the identification process (which has taken 3 weeks already) and then time to pass to the child benefit people, before she will see a penny of this.

And the people she is staying with also aren't getting their money but are having to support the family. (Families who have brought family members over on the family scheme dont get this either. So are second class Ukrainian refugees)

Is it any wonder hosting arrangements are breaking down?

Awwwwww

And the dog

In the meantime she has just said 'ive seen this on a Ukrainian forum' and Ive had to explain that whilst she can legally work without an NI, thats down to individual employers and they are not obliged to take employees without one if thats their company policy. She's then talked about signing up to an agency for work cos thats what the Ukrainians are being told. .. But there's no guarantee she will get work, be able to get to the work or be paid if she has no NI number....

I am now concerned it will allow exploitation and slave labour issues because of this issue. Clearly there is a problem.

I will wait to see after this meeting with the job centre, but i think letter to the MP is likely to be the task for the afternoon.

I also have talked to a lady this morning who has applied for a teaching assistant job. Didnt have the heart to tell her about the issue with ukrainians being unable to get a dbs check. (so thats carers jobs out too)

@RedToothBrush

*Didnt have the heart to tell her about the issue with ukrainians being unable to get a dbs check."

Just out of interest why's that the case? Problems at the Ukrainian end due to the war?

@RedToothBrush · Today 11:41
I will wait to see after this meeting with the job centre, but i think letter to the MP is likely to be the task for the afternoon.

That is a good idea; and maybe even ask to see the MP in person to try to get them to understand, in some sort of personal way, the nightmare Dickensian style ‘circumlocution office’ system going on.

Who in the House of Lords might help? You are good at expressing complicated issues in writing RedToothBrush.

RedToothbrush - I must have missed something- what’s happened with the NI number? Has it not come through? Ours both arrived about a week after applying.

The thing about documents being certified at the Job Centre is so annoying as official information is inconsistent. The information online was quite clear that it had to be the originals for Child Benefit so we sent them off and when our guest had his Universal Credit interview the man said ‘oh, we could have certified them for you’ 🙄

It’s so much easier for us though as our guest has some money coming in from doing his Ukraine job online and although it is not enough, it’s something.

@RedToothBrush earlier this morning
She now can't go to Ukrainian community meetings or help and advice meetings because attendence at the English course is compulsory. The English course which is inappropriate for her level of english and she is complaining its too easy.

I just saw what you wrote her.
Official language schools often have simple tests to determine the learning level someone is already at. Could she ask for one, then get a certificate or letter to show they’ve already passed?

@RedToothBrush
Re: the Ukrainian refugee you are helping, the difficulties you have experienced, and those you see coming up:
As well as contacting your MP, I saw that Baroness Helec in the House of Lords was born in Sarajevo and takes a special interest:
hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2022-04-06/debates/8D81AC06-3AA2-47E2-B145-98F1B87CA4D7/UkraineRefugees