The Home Office is encouraging people who were affected by the Windrush Issue, to contact The Windrush Help Team to get the support and compensation they deserve.

The Windrush issue adversely affected the lives and immigration status of people from Commonwealth countries and all nationalities who settled in the UK before the end of 1988, causing them to lose the rights they had previously enjoyed as lawful UK residents because they were unable to prove their right to be in the UK.  As a result of not being able to access the right documentation, some members of the ‘Windrush generation’ lost out on job opportunities, healthcare, housing, and other services, and in some cases, were wrongfully detained or faced removal.

The UK Government recognises the devastating effect this issue has had on some communities and has set up the Windrush Scheme and the Windrush Compensation Scheme to help affected groups and compensate them for the impacts and losses they suffered.

The Windrush Help Team supports people that apply to the Windrush Scheme get the documents they need and claim compensation through the Windrush Compensation Scheme.

Trinidad-born Sita Dwyer, who arrived in the UK as a child in 1962, admits the uncertainty of not having the correct legal documentation had a negative impact on both her emotional and physical health. After contacting the Windrush Help Team for assistance, she was able to get her naturalisation document and was offered financial compensation.

Sita Says, “I’m really glad I found the courage to ring the helpline and get the help. I want to reach people so that they’ll come forward and claim what they deserve. If I hadn’t sorted out a lot of the documents I needed myself before, the Windrush team would have helped me with that. They would have talked to the DWP and helped me get a new birth certificate. They would have saved me a lot of anger, a lot of tears and frustration. My caseworker was amazing, she
still calls me to see how I’m getting on. The aftercare has been brilliant.”

The Government has worked closely with stakeholders, including the Windrush Cross-Government Working Group, to ensure as many people as possible apply.

Bishop Derek Webley, co-chair of the Windrush Cross-Government Working Group said: The Windrush Working Group is determined to see the wrongs righted and to this end has collaborated with the Home Office to develop this new campaign which, we hope, will encourage more people to apply to the Windrush Compensation Scheme.

If you or your family members have been affected by the Windrush Scandal, please do call the helpline and get the
support you need to claim your compensation.

To learn if you can receive help from the Windrush Scheme and the Windrush Compensation Scheme, even if you are unsure of the documents you need, visit https://windrush.campaign.gov.uk/ or call the FREE helpline 0800 678 1925 for assistance.

Anything you tell the Windrush Help Team will be treated with sensitivity and won’t be passed on to Immigration Enforcement.