Are You Eligible To Claim For The Windrush Compensation Scheme?
In April last year the Waltham Forest, Antigua & Barbuda, and Dominica Twinning Association (WFTA) was one of 14 grassroots organisations appointed by the Home Office to promote and support access to the Windrush Compensation Scheme.
Windrush Reach was launched on Windrush Day (22 June). The WFTA has been and will continue to provide advice and information surgeries, family, and intergenerational drop-in events in collaboration with a network of partners.
Our first online drop-in event was in collaboration with the Claudia Jones Organisation. It provided valuable context and insight from those directly making applications on behalf of eligible individuals and also included cultural music and interactive discussions within a safe space for those participating.
We have also held several face-to-face, one-to-one information surgeries in partnership with Age UK, and are continuing to do so. Individuals who think they may be eligible for compensation are able to meet with an experienced adviser, and all conversations are in private and in confidence.
Our next and final family event is on Sat 12th March from 1 – 4 pm at Vestry House Museum, E17 9NH
You will get helpful, free advice and support plus entertainment for all the family
Invite your family and friends and help us raise awareness!
Book your FREE place here: https://windrushreachfamilyevent.eventbrite.co.uk/
What is the Windrush scandal? In 2017, it emerged that hundreds of Commonwealth citizens, many of whom were from the Windrush generation, had been wrongly detained, deported, and denied legal rights – as a result of a 2012 UK government ‘hostile environment’ policy, deliberately designed to make the UK unlivable for undocumented migrants.
Many of the Windrush generation arrived as children on their parents’ passports, and as the Home Office had destroyed thousands of landing cards and other records, many lacked the documentation to prove their right to remain in the UK. The burden of proof was on individuals to prove their residency pre-1973, demanding at least one official document from every year they had lived here. These individuals began to lose their access to services, were placed in immigration detention centres, denied travel abroad or even deported to countries they hadn’t seen since they were children.
Chairperson of WFTA Ms. Mervin Caesar-John said: “The issue of ensuring those that should receive Windrush Compensation must be addressed as a matter of urgency to ensure that those that are eligible are able to make successful claims. The Association is determined to use its network and influence to help make that happen.”
Partner with the WFTA. Windrush Reach is a London-wide project, and the WFTA welcomes the opportunity to share this important initiative and partner with any organization that has a network or community of Windrush generation individuals.
To get in touch with the WFTA confidentially if you think you may be eligible for compensation, or to partner with Windrush Reach to promote the project, email wftwinningassociation@gmail.com or visit www.wftwinningassociation.org/windrush-reach.html
