We are delighted to have been able to reopen the fund on 1st October, restoring a crucial lifeline for those living in enforced destitution. So far, most of the applicants are people who were applying to the fund before we paused back in July - a difficult reminder of how much the fund will have been missed, and the long and difficult process of escaping destitution.
While we were paused, we took the opportunity to review our application process to ensure that we are trauma-informed and respect people's privacy. For people forced into destitution by (often repeated) Home Office refusals, the process of having to document intimate details of their lives just to access the most basic support can be intensely traumatising. So we keep the MDF application process as light-touch and unintrusive as possible.
At the same time, recognising MDF's crucial role in signposting people on for additional support, we try to strike a balance between respecting privacy and capturing enough information about people's circumstances to be able to offer meaningful suggestions that might, in the best case scenario, help people access advice and advocacy to escape destitution. Where applicants aren't already accessing advice, we find that we are able to signpost on to an appropriate service in the majority of cases.
If you are not doing so already, consider donating to this crucial resource - your donation will not only support someone to reclaim dignity amidst the hostile environment, it can also bring the added value of linking them up with services that can support them out of destitution.