Useful contact numbers and emails
We list some official contact numbers here that you may need to use. Most of these should provide interpreter services. If calling from abroad, you should be able to use the dialling code for the UK, +44 and remove the first zero.
Visas and immigration
- If you have a question about the Homes for Ukraine visa scheme, or need help, please see: Applying For A Visa – Ukrainian Refugee Help
- If your Homes for Ukraine visa application is taking too long and you need to escalate this, please see: Applying For A Visa – Ukrainian Refugee Help
- For help with immigration questions, you can contact the charity Settled: ukraineadvice@settled.org.uk
- For help with your eVisa or Immigration Account, please see: Help with your online immigration status (eVisa) – Contact UK Visas and Immigration for help – GOV.UK and look for the relevant links.
- More generally, in order to contact UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) about something, you’ll need to follow the online questionnaire here: Contact UK Visas and Immigration for help – GOV.UK to get to the right online guides or phone numbers (which could be very expensive to call, so take care). If you want to ask about Ukraine visa schemes, and don’t see ‘Ukraine visa schemes’ mentioned explicitly, then you probably need to select the ‘Something else’ option.
- Note that the Home Office and specifically the UK Visas and Immigration department have a particularly complicated process and expensive way to get to the right person. We’re truly sorry about that.
Benefits
- Turn2Us helpline: 0808 802 2000: Use this number to request help with benefits calculations for example. Interpreters can be aranged.
- Citizens Advice Universal Credit Help to Claim number (England): 0800 144 8444. Use this number to request help in applying for Universal Credit and for benefits calculations. Interpreters can be arranged.
- Citizens Advice Universal Credit Help to Claim number (Scotland): 0800 023 2581. You can ask them about other benefits also.
- Citizens Advice Universal Credit Help to Claim number (Wales): 0800 024 1220.
- Government Universal Credit helpline: 0800 328 5644. Use this number for questions about Universal Credit. Call 0800 012 1331 instead if you are in Northern Ireland.
- Government Pension Credit helpline and application number: 0800 99 1234. Use this number for questions about Pension Credit and to apply. Call 0808 100 6165 instead if you are in Northern Ireland.
- Government Child Benefit helpline: 0300 200 3100 (or +44 161 210 3086 if you are outside the UK). Use this number for questions about Child Benefit and to report changes.
Tax and work
- HMRC (for tax enquiries): 0300 200 3300 (+44 135 535 9022 if calling from abroad). There is also a webchat option. There is also extra support available: Get help from HMRC if you need extra support: Help you can get – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). HMRC offer an interpretation service if a customer is not able to speak English.
- Acas (Advice, Conciliation and Arbitration Service): 0300 123 1100. Use this number for advice on your employment status and rights (Labour Relations Agency for Northern Ireland: 03300 555 300). Interpreters can be arranged.
Miscellaneous
- Citizens Advice have multiple ways to contact them to ask for advice about any matter, including a webchat option so you can use translation tools to ask questions (though it can be difficult to get available advisers): see https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/contact-us/. You may need to speak to your local branch if phoning.
- Shelter for advice about renting, council housing and homelessness: https://england.shelter.org.uk/get_help (similar links for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).
- Modern Slavery and Exploitation Helpline: 08000 121 700. Use this number if you are being exploited or worried about someone else.
- Ukrainian Embassy: consul_gb@mfa.gov.ua
Some numbers listed are always free; others may be included in your mobile phone operator’s call allowance; others may be excluded. Check before dialling as you may be on hold for a long time. See https://www.gov.uk/call-charges.
How to find your Member of Parliament
Type your postcode into the search box at this link to find your Member of Parliament (or MP): https://members.parliament.uk/
It’s quite common here to contact them to ask them to intervene on your behalf when you have not had any success with the official routes.
How to find your local council
Type your postcode into the search box at this link to find your local council: https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council
Each local council will have a Refugee Support team that you should be able to email for help, for example, if there are problems between sponsors and guests, or if you just need general assistance. Search for ‘Ukraine’ on the council website. We have started to compile email addresses for local councils here: Local Council Contacts.
Each local council will have the following departments that you may need to contact at various points (note that they may be called different things in different councils):
- Housing department – manages applications for council / social housing and risk of homelessness enquiries
- Education department – to apply for school places and to find local childcare and childminder options
- Community support – getting help with finding work, grants available to those on low incomes and so on
