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Working with A8 nationals

Homeless Link has conducted research into A8 nationals' use of services in London and has produced a good practice guide 'Sharing Solutions'. This information is adapted for day centres. Further information and news can be accessed by the right hand navigation.

Worker Registration Scheme (WRS)

Citizens from Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic must register on the WRS within a month of commencing employment.

The Home Office web pages on the Worker Registration Scheme include general information on the WRS and downloadable information leaflets in A8 languages.

Benefit entitlements

The Social Security (Habitual Residence) Amendment Regulations 2004 changed the entitlement to means-tested benefits. The regulations introduced a new requirement that a claimant must be able to demonstrate a 'right to reside' in the UK, in addition to the habitual residency test. An A8 worker who comes to the UK to work after 1 May 2004 can only have a right to reside if they are working and registered under the Worker Registration Scheme or they have completed the initial 12-months period as a registered worker in continuous employment.

During the initial 12-month period of registered employment, an A8 worker is entitled to Child Benefit and in-work benefits such as tax credits. If they have a low income, they may also be entitled to Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit. After 12 months of continuous employment A8 nationals have the same entitlements as other EEA nationals.

The regulations mean that from 1 May 2004 all EEA and Swiss nationals who are economically inactive will only have a right to reside in the UK if they have sufficient resources to avoid being an unreasonable burden on the State.

Non-means-tested benefits are unaffected by these changes (e.g. statutory sick pay, statutory maternity pay, maternity allowance, and Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance). A8 nationals who are already in receipt of unemployment benefit in another member state can have it paid in the UK if they obtain Form E303 from their own country and meet the UK entitlement conditions. A8 nationals who are self-employed will be entitled to Incapacity Benefit provided they have paid sufficient National Insurance (NI) contributions.

Further information is available through the following websites:

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Social housing

The government has also imposed restrictions on the access to social housing. EEA nationals who do not have the right to reside in the UK are not eligible for council housing. This policy was successfully challenged in the courts under rules relating to people subject to immigration control. However, the government closed this loophole in April 2006 by strengthening the regulations covering EEA nationals' access to social housing.

Health care entitlements

Any person living lawfully in the UK on a settled basis will be entitled to free primary medical services. Lawful residence in the UK rather than UK nationality, payment of UK taxes and National Insurance contributions is the main qualifying criterion for receiving free GP treatment. The same rules apply whether someone is from an EEA country or non-EEA country. On that basis, anyone is free to approach a GP practice near to where they live and request acceptance as a patient. Practices are free to decide which patients they accept on their lists of NHS patients and may use their discretion to accept overseas visitors as: either registered NHS patients or, with their consent, as patients on a private, fee-paying basis. When registering, GPs may request some proof that the prospective patient intents to stay in the UK for a settled period. GPs have discretion as to what type of documentation is required for registration but as a guide, any form of lawful documentation that states or proves that the overseas visitor intends to stay in the UK for a settled period is fine, e.g. letter from employer, visa papers, utility bills etc.

Mental health and detox services are available upon referral by a GP if the treatment is deemed to be clinically necessary. The same rules regarding entitlement to GP services apply to the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

The Salvation Army’s Westminster Centre at Rochester Row is a small day centre in central London that has been seeing increasing numbers of A8 nationals in the last two years. When A8 nationals started to attend the centre the staff felt that it was difficult to make sense of the needs and wants of this new client group. Little was known of the expectations of clients in coming to the service and limited English language among many clients made it difficult to communicate. In response, the day centre manager organised a series of feedback meetings with A8 clients, which provided a forum for clients to express their concerns and needs, and for staff to ask questions about their expectations.

For further information visit the Overseas visitors section of the Department of Health website.

Case study: Broadway Day Centre

In west London there is an established Polish community and a Polish cultural centre, not far from the Broadway Day Centre. The manager of the day centre linked up with the cultural centre, and a representative came down for a question and answers session with staff. This gave staff an opportunity to get a better understanding of the political and cultural backgrounds of their Polish clients, and ask questions about issues of concern or uncertainties. One thing that came to light was that clients may be unfamiliar with the process of looking for a job, since traditionally jobs in London are not advertised and appointed in the same way as they are elsewhere in the UK.

The day centre was set up as a meeting room with pens and papers, a head table, and drinks and biscuits. Interpreters from the Federation of Poles facilitated communication. The format gave clients a voice in a structured way. The meeting format was easily recognisable to clients who sat down, listened to the chair and took turns in asking and responding to questions. Through this process members of staff were able to identify the needs of clients; what they had been expecting when coming to the UK; and get a better understanding of the problems they were encountering. Clients emphasised issues around housing and employment and highlighted individual problems such as having their money or belongings stolen and having been conned by bogus agencies in Poland that they thought would provide for them in the UK. An issue for many was bewilderment at being in an unexpected environment and they were keen to stress their differences from traditional homeless clients.

Out of the information gathered through these meetings the centre was able to formulate a policy of what to tell people and how to deal with them when they accessed the centre. For example it became an important part of the service not only to inform clients about the reality of life in the UK, and the limited support available to them, but also to offer emotional support and giving clients space to express their shock.

Cultural misunderstandings

Knowledge of a client’s background reduces the risk of cultural misunderstandings. It is important not to jump to conclusions and to discuss inappropriate behaviour with clients. By using staff and/or volunteers with similar backgrounds to clients – e.g. from same countries, cultural groups or with experience of homelessness, the risk of misunderstandings is reduced. Translating house rules or having them explained to clients in their own language helps defining the parameters within which they can operate.

Language difficulties/lack of access to translators

One of the main issues that were highlighted by agencies in Homeless Link’s research was the language barriers faced with some clients. Organisations did not necessarily have ready access to translators, which made communication with clients difficult. When faced with language barriers it can be difficult to gather even basic data about a client and to assess their support needs.

London agencies had responded to this difficulty in a number of ways. Some agencies had been able to use Local Authority translation services.

The CRI Camden outreach team have been using Camden Council’s interpretation service. An interpreter, who speaks Russian and Polish, comes out with the outreach team and helps with assessments. The team has to pay for the provision out of their budget, but the service is useful, as the interpreter is used to working with vulnerable clients (does interpretation for social services etc.).

Others have linked in with local community groups that have helped to find volunteer translators, who come into services to help out with communication. Many agencies have included language skills as a desirable feature in new job descriptions, whilst others have specifically employed workers with A8 language skills to support the work with this new client group.

Workers and volunteers with language skills are able to translate important documents, signs and other information, so that these can be given to clients, even when the worker or volunteer is not available. This also limits clients’ ability to feign ignorance about house rules and regulations.

At Broadway Day Centre they have introduced signs in multiple languages and their staff have learnt simple words like ‘please’, ‘thank you’ and ‘good morning’ to create a more welcoming atmosphere.

Even if you are unable to translate information yourself there may be information already available, which you can access and distribute among your clients. The Home Office web pages on the Worker Registration Scheme, for example, have booklets on the ‘Rights and Responsibilities of Nationals from the New Member States from 1 May 2004’ available in all A8 languages. These can be downloaded and printed for A8 clients. The booklets include information on entitlements, registration and workers’ rights.

Case study: Westminster

Margo is seconded from Job Centre Plus to Westminster Council to do outreach work with A8 nationals in Day Centres. Poles are her largest client group, so to facilitate communication she has had her appointment card translated into Polish and she advertises the services in both English and Polish. She uses volunteer translators where these are available. However, Margo has also taken to learning Polish herself, so that she can ask for clients’ date of birth, profession, where they are from, what work they want to do, what education they have and for other background information in basic Polish.

Created by beth.coyne
Last modified 2007-05-02 01:11 PM
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