WE ARE SHUT FOR SUMMER: We do not run services in summer. Our next sessions start September 9th at our new premises - Grassroots Resouce Centre, E15 3DB.Please press Need Help Now for links to other organisations to approach for help while we are away.
We were founded on togetherness, listening, love and unconditional positive regard – but we have never really put the way that we work all together in one place and agreed on our way of doing things, until now!
At the end of November we got together with mums, minis, staff, volunteers, trustees to talk through what is most important to us, how we want to our charity to run, and how we want to treat ourselves and each other.
We had such an incredible afternoon of laughter, tears, serious discussions and silly anecdotes for example ‘I first came to the project when Jane approached me in the playground and gave me some tomatoes!’.
Our minis scribbled on every available note, and we slowly came to an agreement about our vision mission and values while celebrating our community and each other. All of this was expertly, lovingly, and innovatively facilitated by our amazing friends at Just Ideas who, honestly make the almost impossible (wrangling all of us) look effortless.
Vision
Powerful mums building a world of equity, opportunity and kindness in which all our children thrive
Mission
The Magpie Project provides mums and minis – together – with emotional and social support and the essentials they need at all stages of their journeys towards secure status, suitable homes and good health.
Values
Play, acceptance, trust, love, endurance, hope, and joy.
We do this: Under one roof, where play is centred, information flows, and the whole person matters.
Through building relationships of trust and community where each Magpie Mums’ and minis’ voice is heard
By speaking up for equitable access to health, housing, play and learning opportunities for mums and minis suffering under the hostile immigration environment.
Our Rights Experience Advocacy Change group (REACH) team made up of mums who are experiencing the issues we are speaking up on – has been campaigning to stop children being housed without a kitchen for around a year now….
There are two main types of family this affects:
1. those housed by the home office in hotels that have not cooking or food storge facilities and are pre-catered.
2. those who are housed by the local authority in hotels with no cooking facilities who have to rely on takeaways and pre-packaged food for every meal.
In the past year or so we have had monthly meetings hosted by the Public Health team to tackle issues at home office hotels around food quality, alternative sources of meals, etc. The Public Health Team have done great work on the guidelines for hotel meals, toddler meals in hotels, and have already enforced a change of caterer in one of the hotels in Newham due to failing food hygiene inspections.
We have also met regularly with housing on the issue of families that they have placed in hotels under emergency provision – some for longer than the six week legal limit without kitchens. There we have seen extraordinary change. Last week they reported that:
Newham Council have reduced hotel/B&B placements by 80% on past year.
76 families in hotel/B&B down from 337 beginning of August 2023.
Newham also used HSF funds to support community warm spaces and kitchens, as well as giving some vouchers for families in hotels placed by them at Christmas.
Newham Council have reduced hotel/B&B placements by 80% on past year.
76 families in hotel/B&B down from 337 beginning of August 2023.
Changing the practice of the Home Office will be hard, but we are also part of a task and finish group bringing together other interested parties including Sustain the food charity and other charity partners hosted by the great anti-child poverty group 4 in 10.
We have had public support from the Mayor of Newham and our local MP Stephen Timms. Deputy London Mayors – Tom Copley (Housing) and Joanna McCartney (families and children) have visited and offered support.
Our three goals are:
1. immediate relief locally for families – we are well on the way, 2. no child in hotel for longer than the legal limit of six weeks (and wouldn’t it be amazing if the legal limit also applied to home office accommodation!), 3. no children without ktchens at all.
We are new to this change work, so if you can help – please get in touch.
Last week Westfield treated our mums and minis to a delicious afternoon tea to celebrate the new Magpie Project building. The Westfield team welcomed mums, served cakes, poured drinks, cleared plates, played with children and held babies!
Everyone left smiling and very full, as mama D said we felt “highly hosted”. We loved welcoming Westfield to our new building and celebrating our 4+ years of partnership.
We have spent the last week unpacking and getting our new space ready to welcome our mums and minis back into. Our café area is fully stocked with new cutlery and crockery, tables set out with our beautiful colourful chairs very kindly donated by OMK and we have set up baby change areas. Toys that felt huge in our old building now feel tiny in our big new play space. Everything is still a work in progress and we are so excited to work and collaborate with our mums and minis to curate the space together.
We couldn’t have done it without our amazing volunteers and everyone who donated something or contributed their time.
Mama R lets us know how difficult the holy month of Ramadan was to live through while being accommodated in a hotel without cooking facilities.
Mama R found herself and her family in a hotel in Romford during the holy month last year. Fasting from dawn to dusk, obviously means preparing and eating meals at times which are not convenient for restaurants or shops. The family were not allowed to store any food in their hotel room at all. This created an impossible situation.
Please understand that nothing has changed since last year – so many of our beautiful Muslim families will be facing this exact set of circumstances for the next month.
Others, living in home office provided contingency hotels will not be offered a hot IFTAR meal all month, instead they will have sandwiches left for them to eat at the time of breaking their fast.
We believe that everyone has a human right to be able to undertake their religious observance unhindered. For hundreds this holy month – their housing or home office accommodatio will make it impossible.
‘The thing I suffered most from was the difficulty of finding restaurants for halal food.’
Mama R
As there is no way for our families, to cook or store food in their hotel rooms. Each meal must be bought pre-prepared outside on the day. The financi8al expense incurred can reach an additional £200 a week, but on top of that – for our muslim families placed in areas without a significant Muslim population – that means that culturally and religiously appropriate pre-prepared or takeaway food is hard to come by.
‘The hotel was in the Romford area. Restaurants closed early and breaking our fast during Ramadan was late.
It was forbidden to take food to the rooms.
Mama R.
This meant that the whole family, including small children had to leave their ‘home’ to eat each meal.
. We had to eat outside’ she says.
‘We would go out to Tesco. As that was the only store that is open [at that time of night] to buy cheese and toast, and this is how we break our fast after a long day of fasting.
Mama R.
Breaking a fast in the middle of the night while living in a hotel means having to go to a 24 hour superstore and then eating outside the home.
‘At that time, I was breastfeeding my child. I needed a lot of vitamins and protein. This is what I would have gotten if I were at home and cooking during Ramadan.
It was a very difficult experience. I feel sad when I remember it.’
Mama R.
To make sure that families won’t have to face another Ramadan like this – please sign and share our petition to make sure no children are housed without a kitchen. Just clicking below.
As we return rested from our winter break, we can look back at the success of our Christmas event! We hosted our Christmas giveaway across 2 days, which featured presents and a stocking for every child, a present for mums and a hamper for each family. Despite the torrential rain more than 215 families joined us, mums filled their bags and buggies with gifts and goodies while minis drank hot chocolate! There was even an appearance from Mother Christmas herself, along with her elf helpers!
We got to show off our amazing new song ‘The places you’ll go’ which was written and recorded with London Rhymes, it didn’t quite make Christmas number one, but we are very proud of it!. We danced and sang and ate lots of delicious food provided by our amazing partners Community food Enterprise and City Harvest.
The support we received from the community and our partners this year was phenomenal, we had more than 400 children’s presents, 200 mums presents, and 280 food hampers donated. For this we have to thank Wanstead WI and Westfield for the presents for our mums and Hasbro, Solotech at ABBA Voyage, Bancroft Rugby Club, and The Wanstead Charity for all the gifts for our minis. Our amazing local bookshop Newham Bookshop also curated a selection of books for us using community donations and 100 books from our partners Discover, Enabled Living and a community member also funded books. All the books were put into stockings handmade by our amazingly talented quilting volunteers and given out to every child by Mother Christmas.
We are so lucky to have so many lovely volunteers, who joined us the day before to sort, wrap and age label all the presents. As this was going on a constant flow of hampers arrived from members of the community. Their support continued across our giveaway days as volunteers helped to distribute presents, give out nappies and serve hot chocolate to our Magpie families. A big thankyou to the volunteers who joined us from our partners Papier, Solotech at ABBA Voyage, Discover and Hadley. A special shoutout to Enabled Living who became elves for the days! We really could not have done it without you all!
Once every half term we pause our busy stay and play sessions for a week to host our Clothes Club event. The Clothes club, gives our mums the opportunity to ‘shop’ for clothes and coats for their minis, and some essential toiletries.
We want the event to not only address the practical needs of our families but to give them a dignified experience where they can exercise choice, so we work to ensure each family has a wide range of new and barely worn clothes to choose from. Our aim is to make this a relaxed and enjoyable shopping experience where the mums are free to be as fussy as they want!
At this Clothes club we also provided each child over 1 with a £40 Clarks voucher, we choose to do this so they can get a well fitted and comfortable pair of shoes for their growing feet. We think all our children deserve to have new and comfortable shoes, and we have a horror of inappropriate, second hand or broken shoes on our beloved mini’s feet.
In November we had more than 125 families come to Clothes club, this would not have been possible without support from our partners and volunteers. We are very fortunate to collaborate with amazing organisations like, Little village who generously provided us with 30 bags of quality checked winter clothes and Community Food Enterprise who sourced us 100s of tote bags our mums could pack their shopping in. We also want to say a huge thankyou to Irons foodbank for providing us with sanitary items to give out to our mums, which are so often a forgotten necessity.
And not to forget all our amazing volunteers both Magpie regulars and from Papier, who meticulously sorted and quality-checked public donations. Their hard work ensured that the items were folded and presented beautifully, ready for our mums to explore and choose from!
The children were also involved, books were given out to everyone and healthy refreshments provided!
If you would like to donate great quality clothes to our next clothes club here’s how.
Every year we organise a summer party to celebrate all we’ve achieved in the last year and most importantly all our lovely mums and minis. This is a final hurrah before we then close for August. At The Magpie Project, as part of our trauma-informed ethos, we ensure that the spaces we create are safe, so that mums and minis are free to relax, bond, and have fun together.
The summer party is a time and place for us all to come together, play, eat, and celebrate the year. In the months leading up to it, staff and volunteers are working hard to create interesting, engaging and fun activities for our mums and minis – this looks like henna, glitter tattoos, lucky dip, flag decorating, as well as a ‘our year at the magpie project’ gallery wall!
For the summer party, we go all out – taking over Forest Lane Park to house our stalls and entertainment stage. Stalls this year comprised of the amazing Kay Rowe Nursey and Children’s Centre, Games, Crafts, and Merch. Our Entertainment hadBubbles, London Rhymes singing, and Discover Story. This year we made school-style lunches for minis, and had local family owned restaurant Aromas create delicious Halal Meat and Vegan plates for mums and guests.
Despite the rain, our mums were not deterred, and came dressed to the nines to play and enjoy delicious food with Magpie Mums and staff. The summer party is also open to all Forest Gate locals, we appreciate your support as it helps us continue the important work we do.
We can’t thank our summer party superstar volunteers and partners enough for always showing up and making the day come rain or shine so special. Special shout-outs to our Food manager, Cat, for making 200 epic school-style lunches for our minis, Aromas for catering the most tasty food (our Mums look forward to eating your meals every year), Kay Rowe for running a stall and all their important work, London Rhymes and Discover for ensuring Mums and Minis have a blast and entertained for hours, and amazing Newham Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz and Trustee Radihika Byron for visiting.
Lastly, we are so thankful for all those we partnered with this year: Newham Nurture, FCA, Black Swan Finance, Enabled Living, Papier, Little Village, Children’s Salon, Hasboro, 52lives, Knitforpeace, Bethany Williams London, Young V&A, Flying Seagull Circus, Forest Gate WI, Tindersticks, Newham Bookshop, Clapton CFC, Astoria Fire and Security, Praxis, Shelter, Westfield Stratford London, Discover Story Centre, Forest Gate WI, Bookstart, Lush, Number 8 Forest Gate, City Harvest, Health Visitors, Newham Public Health Team, Morris and Co. Architects, Laura Jackson, Irons Foodbank, UCL, Louise Klarnet, Forest Gate Community Garden, London Rhymes, Bancroft Rugby Club, Craft Council, UEL, RAMFEL, Project 17, Maternity Action, Bonny Downs, Newham Food Alliance, Newham Children Centre’s particularly Kay Rowe Nursey, Perinatal Mental Health Team, Acorn Midwives Team at Newham, Alternatives Trust, Museum of Homelessness, Hestia, Ashiana Network, LBWP, Care4Calais, The Unity Project, Tower Hamlets Law Centre, Bethany Prince at Early Notifications / CNDS, Streetwise Opera, Just Life, Stephen Timms MP, Mayor of Newham Rokhsana Fiaz, The Newham Community, Gainsborough Quilters, and our play and formfilling volunteers, drivers, community members who make up hampers for our families every christmas.
You are the village it takes to raise our children, and e couldn’t make the impact we do, without all of you!
Each week, our play sessions have a theme guiding our activities and learning. Our themes range from animals and mud play, to seasonal celebrations like Eid or Christmas. This week we celebrated the beginning of summer with our Pool Party theme. We can always count on our amazing Play Lead to come up with the most elaborate ideas and ingenuous ways to explore the themes; creating activities that foster learning, connection, and fun for our mums and minis.
This week activities included smoothie making and splashing around in paddling pools. Inside our centre mums and minis got to try all different fun combinations of fruit and even some spinach to create delicious, healthy, and cooling smoothies. Whilst outside, an assortment of paddling pools were set out on a blue tarp, creating an epic pool and splash zone. The carpark disappeared behind some tropical island themed shower curtains hanging between two trees. Chairs were positioned as sun-loungers, and voila – we were no longer in sunshine and showers UK, but on an idyllic island filled with children’s joy! Our minis had so much fun splashing around, and dipping different objects into the water – what would sink and what would swim?! A special thanks to our lovely donators, allowing us to provide swimsuits for any children who wanted to take a dip.
Later in the afternoon, our wonderful partners at Tinder Sticks did a workshop teaching our mums and minis all about birds and nest building. They also taught natural bracelet making, and plant artwork – checkout some of our minis creations below:
No matter what mums and minis have experienced in the past, or what they are facing everyday under the UK’s hostile environment, we at the Magpie Project firmly believe #allourchildren deserve to experience safety, love, and joy. Play, including pool parties, is the ultimate act of resistance!
“‘Our collaboration with Bethany Williams London has been the most beautiful, generous and creative thing that we could have ever dreamt of. It has got the voice of our mums and minis in to places we would never dream of – the catwalks of London Fashion Week, the pages of Vogue, the Design Museum, and now the permanent collection of the Young V&A. Graphics were created in collaboration with artist Melissa Kitty Jarram in the depth of lockdown through zoom meetings where mums and minis drew each other. You can see their likenesses in the fabrics” – Jane Williams, CEO and Founder of The Magpie Project
This weekend the newly re-named Young V&A (previously the Museum of Childhood) opened its doors to the public, boasting refreshed collections and displays. The Young V&A is a free national museum located in Bethnal Green with displays, collections, and interactive spaces, co-designed with children and young people, that explore the creativity and experiences of children. This revamped Young V&A titles itself a ‘doing museum’ with sensory playscapes, imagination playground construction zone, performance and story stage and design studio for all ages to get stuck in and enjoy!
The Young V&A showcases 2,000 objects relating to art, design, and performance including two sets of mother and child outfits and lunchbox inspired handbag designed and created by Bethany Williams. Bethany Williams is a fashion designer, humanitarian and artist, creating cutting-edge fashion with ethnical manufacturing and social responsibility. She gives textiles a second chance through refashioning whilst working with social projects and communities to create her garments, as well as giving a percentage of her profits to charity.
For her ‘All Our Children’ Spring/Summer 2021 collection of outfits for mothers and children in collaboration with us at the Magpie Project, Bethany took inspiration from the V&A children’s archives, in particular the skeleton suit and a Boy’s first suit, some of the first garments designed for play. This inspiration is evident in her creation of a tailored skeleton suit and the flounced dresses and pantalettes shown below.
A predominant theme across the Young V&A, Bethany Williams and The Magpie Project is an emphasis on play, creativity, co-creation and design between children and adults. #Allourchildren are all our responsibility; and deserving of environments that foster safety, love, joy and creativity. We hope you visit the Young V&A and enjoy viewing and interacting with our collaboration with Bethany Williams.
Timeline
“In my experience, the first thing was to open an
online account. Some online banks will take a
biometric card. When you download the app, you
immediately get your account number and sort code,
so you can apply for universal credit. Then, I applied
for a provisional license. You have to be careful when
you apply to both of these. Make sure you confirm
your universal credit first, before you send your ID
for your provisional license, because it takes a few
weeks for them to send it back and you won’t get
paid until you send your ID to universal credit”
Magpie Mums
List of Definitions
There are a few common terms that you will see a lot. Here is a list of some of the most important terms and what they mean
Account number
A 10-12 digit number given to your bank account. You can find your account number on your online banking page or on bank statements.
Card Number
A 16-digit number with that is found on the front of your debit/credit card.
Credit Card
A credit card doesn’t spend your money. It spends the bank’s money and you must pay it back. This means you can spend more than is in your account, but you might be charged extra for doing this, especially if you are late paying the bank.
Credit Score
A number that records how likely you are to repay your debts. High credit scores are better as it means financial products such as overdrafts and credit cards cost less.
Debit Card
A debit card is a card that lets you take out money from ATMs and make payments in stores or online from your account.
Financial Service Compensation Scheme (FSCS)
An organisation set up to protect the money you put in bank accounts. If you have a current or basic account, the FSCS will pay you up to £85,000 if your bank goes bankrupt.
National Insurance Number (NI)
The number makes sure that the National Insurance contributions and tax you pay are properly recorded on your account. It also acts as a reference number for the whole social security system.
Overdraft
An amount of money you can spend even when you have no money in your account. It is like a small loan from your bank. Overdrafts are often not free, so you need to be very aware what the costs are before using one.
Personal Identification Number (PIN)
A PIN is a 4-digit number that is given to you with a debit card. This is used when taking out money from ATMs or when making in-store purchases with your card. Never share your PIN with anyone as it could be used to commit fraud.
Security Code
A 3-4 digit number found on the back of your debit/credit card in the signature section. This number will be required for nearly all online payments. The code provides an extra layer of security to safeguard you from fraud.
Sort Code
A 6-digit number that is used to identify your bank. You can find your sort code on your online banking platform, on bank statements or on your debit card.
Standing Order
When a fixed amount that you choose is paid from your account to another person or organisation. This is different from the direct debit as the amount that is paid is the same each time.
How to read electricity meters
At some point, your energy provider will ask for electricity meter records. If they do not have this, they will estimate your usage and you may not be charged the correct amount. Here is a useful guide for how to read your energy meter.
“With patience, you will achieve whatever you want to. You’ve got to be strong and patient and keep pushing.”
“The whole process looked a bit daunting to me, but just talk to professionals and follow the steps given in this booklet and you’ll be fine.”
Magpie mums say:
Finding the cheapest provider
The best way to save money on energy bills is to switch providers, or search for the cheapest deal available. This website lets you compare energy providers. If you are struggling to pay your energy bills, you can apply for help through the British gas and energy trust. You can find information on saving money on phone and Wi-Fi (broadband) bills here.
Which bills are more important
If you have more than one debt you need to pay, the order in which you pay off the debts is important. Paying your bills and debts in the right order can help you save money and avoid legal trouble. Paying your bills and debts in the right order can help you save money and avoid legal trouble. Money Advice Service suggests that you classify your debts as follows:
When paying off non-priority debts, try to target the most expensive debt first. This will help you save money in the long term:
Pay the debt with the highest interest rate shown on your monthly statement or loan agreement first.
Check that you won’t be charged any penalty or default charges for overpaying.
Pay as much as you can afford without breaking the terms of other credit agreements you have.
Once you’ve paid your most expensive debt, move on to paying off your next most expensive one.
“The whole process looked a bit daunting to me, but just talk to professionals and follow the steps given in this booklet and you’ll be fine.”
“With patience, you will achieve whatever you want to. You’ve got to be strong and patient and keep pushing”
“It’s advisable to get a receipt booklet. You can never tell when you will need to prove something. Make sure you have a receipt if you pay someone to do something”
Magpie mums say:
Staying safe online
You might be worried about the safety of online banking, but banks have worked hard to make sure that your money is safe. Here are some tips for staying safe when banking online:
Use unique passwords and PINs that only you know – do not share these, your bank will never ask you to.
Use secure Wi-Fi networks to bank online, not public WiFi
Always double-check who you are sending money to. You must be sure that you are sending money to the right person for the right reason.
Contact your bank immediately if you spot a transaction on your account that you did not make.
Identifying and avoiding scams:
Scammers are clever and can target anyone. Here are 5 warning signs to look out for:
Does it seem too good to e true?
Are you pressured to pay quickly or unusually, or transfer fees up front?
Are there errors or typos that look suspicious?
Contacted out of the blue by someone you don’t know?
Asked for personal information?
Sometimes it is difficult to tell if something is a scam or not. If you are concerned, it is best to be careful and take the time to check. Many banks’ websites will also have advice on the latest scams and how to avoid them.
Received a text you think is a scam? Forward it to 7726 for free to report it. You can also report suspicious emails with your email provider and block the sender.
Never click links in suspicious messages or reply. Never share any personal details.
Online banking lets you transfer money between accounts almost immediately. You can send money to another account in your name, to family and friends, or to companies when you need to pay bills. Direct debits and standing orders are useful ways to manage your payments and make sure that your bills are paid on time.
A direct debit lets a company take money from your account on a certain date. This is useful when you need to pay regular bills, such as for water, gas or electricity. The company will take the amount of money that you owe, but it will tell you in advance how much they will take and when. You should contact the company that you want to pay to set up a direct debit. You will need your bank account details to fill out a form in person,
online or over the phone.
A standing order tells your bank to send an exact amount of money from your account to another account on a regular basis. Standing orders can also be useful for making regular payments to other accounts, such as to pay rent to your landlord. You are in full control of how much will be paid, when and how long for. To set up a standing order, you will need to fill out a form through your online bank account or over the phone with your bank. You will need the name, sort code and account number of the person you want to send money to.
Saves time – you don’t need toremember to pay a bill.
You need to make sure there is
enough money in your account when
the direct debit or standing order will
be taken. If there is not enough
money, you could be charged extra by the bank.
You will get money back for anyincorrect payments for direct debitsonly.
You must remember to cancel
standing orders when you want to
stop paying someone regularly.
You can cancel a direct debit or astanding order at any time throughyour online banking account or bycontacting your bank.
Sometimes you might think you are
setting up a direct debit, but it is
actually a recurring payment or
continuous payment authority (CPA).
Be careful if companies ask for the
long number on your card instead of
your sort code and account number.
This will mean they can take money
whenever they think they are owed.
“Always use direct debits if you can, so you don’t forget to pay and are charged. If you can’t use direct debits, make sure you put the dates when you’re supposed to make payments in your phone calendar.”
Magpie Mums say:
Paying your bills with online banking
What is online banking?
Online banking means accessing and managing your bank account through the internet on your smartphone, tablet or computer. Many banks have free mobile-banking apps which make it quick and easy to manage your money without needing to call or visit your bank. With most banks, you can use online banking to:
Check how much money is in your account
Check the recent payments into and out of your account
Send money to other accounts and pay bills
Check your monthly statements
Set up and manage direct debits and standing orders
Send and receive messages from your bank
Some banks have extra features. For example, show your pending transactions
(payments that you have made but haven’t been taken from your account yet)
and what your balance will be once these payments are complete. Sometimes,
you can also set up notifications on your phone to tell you when payments
have been made into or out of your account.
You can access monthly statements online or receive a copy through the post.
It is useful to have paper copies of your statements to be used as proof of
address.
Making payments
Online banking lets you transfer money between accounts almost immediately. You can also send money to family and friends, or to companies when you need to pay bills.
You can make regular payments through direct debits and standing orders:
Direct debits let a company take money from your account on a certain date. It is useful when paying regular bills.
Standing orders tell your bank to send an exact amount of money from your account to another on a regular basis.
You need to make sure there is enough money in your account when these payments are taken or else you could be charged extra by your bank.
Saves Time
Make sure there is enough money in your account when the direct debit or standing order will be taken. If there is not enough money, you could be charged extra by the bank.
You don’t need to remember to pay a bill
You must remember to cancel standing orders when you want to stop paying someone regularly.
You will get money back for any incorrect payments for direct debits only.
Sometimes you might think you are setting up a direct debit, but it is actually a recurring payment or continuous payment authority (CPA). Be careful if companies ask for the long number on your card instead of your sort code and account number. This will mean they can take money whenever they think they are owed.
You can cancel a direct debit or a standing order at any time through your online banking account or by contacting your bank.
Magpie Mums say:
“Always use direct debits if you can, so you don’t forget to pay and are charged. If you can’t use direct debits, make sure you put the dates when you’re supposed to make payments in your phone calendar.”
“I’m used to it. It’s easy on the phone. I try to avoid going to banks.”
Open an Account
Before setting up an account anywhere, you should check that the account provider is regulated by the FCA. To do this click the link here and search for the provider on the Financial Services Register. We also recommend checking if the provider is covered by the FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme). To check if your provider is covered, click here.
The FSCS protects your money up to a certain amount if the bank fails.
There are different ways you can open a bank account. For banks with a local branch, you can book an appointment. Other banks will let you open an account online. Whichever way you choose, there are some documents you must have available:
Proof of identity
Proof of address
There are some examples of what you can use for . Try to have as many examples of these documents as you can. You will not be allowed to use the same item for both proof of identity and address, so be prepared for this. Do not let anyone else use your accounts.
Bank accounts:
Current accounts
Basic Bank Accounts
Basic Savings Accounts
Where to bank
It’s useful to spend some time choosing which bank you want to open an account with. Things to consider when choosing your bank are:
Is there a local branch near you?
What accounts do they offer?
What protections do they provide?
Does the bank offer the option for paper statements if you need them?
It’s important to make sure you are not paying for features that you do not need. You should not have to pay to have an account.
This is why Magpie Mums say having a bank account is important:
“When I first applied, I couldn’t get paid universal credit until I provided a bank account.”
“For receiving universal credit and if you find a job, you need an account for your salary to go through.”
Where to Bank
Where to Bank
There are several banks in Westfield Stratford City shopping centre near to the Magpie Project’s base. You can see the full list of banks here. To see what types of accounts are on offer you will have to check the bank’s website. Look for either basic or current accounts. Remember you should not have to pay to have an account.
It is recommended by most banks that you go into a branch if you are a refugee or asylum seeker and want to open a bank account. In person they may be able to accept alternative forms of ID/proof of address if you don’t have the standard ones.
Table:
Bank Examples
Forms of Identity Needed
Metro Bank
Asylum seekers can apply for a cash account and/or savings account. This requires an Application Registration Card (ARC), proof of address and confirmation of asylum seekers support allowance or other income.
Lloyds
You can apply for a Classic Current account with a BRP, ARC or a Home Office Immigration Status document. Refugees and asylum seekers can apply for a ‘Classic current account’. This includes an arranged overdraft. Fees are charged if you go into your overdraft.
Nationwide
You can get a ‘FlexBasic account’ (basic bank account) and an ‘Instant Access saver’ (basic savings account). They accept BRP, ARC and Home Office Immigration Status document.
HSBC
You cannot open a bank account if you are from outside the EU. They accept BRP but NOT ARC. They accept BRP but NOT ARC.
Monzo
Refugees can open a current account with a BRP and their UK address. However, Monzo do not accept ARC. You can get your benefits or salary (depending on your employer) paid into your Monzo account 1 day earlier.
Overview of bank fees/charges:
You should not be charged to open an account or send or receive money.
With a Current account if you have an overdraft then you will be charged interest on the amount you go over and you will have to pay this back.
Some banks may charge you for a replacement if you lose your bank card.
Fees will be charged if you send money outside the UK. You may also be charged for sending money in a foreign currency . • You can withdraw cash for free from most cash machines.
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You can use Money Helper to compare fees and charges for all banks. First click ‘Start to compare current accounts’ then click on the ‘filter’ button. Filter it to just ‘Standard current accounts’ and ‘Fee-free basic bank accounts’. You can also search the charges and fees for your specific bank provider on their website.
Current Accounts
Current Accounts
Current accounts are the most common bank accounts in the UK. Nearly all banks will offer a free current account, depending on your credit score. Current bank accounts allow you to:
Pay money into the account either personally or from wages/benefits.
Withdraw money from the account at an ATM with a card.
Set up online payments such as direct debits and standing orders.
Complete in-store payments with a debit card.
Apply for an overdraft (depending on credit score).
Apply for a credit card (depending on credit score).
It’s important to make sure you are not paying for features that you do not
need.
If, for some reason, you are not allowed to open a current account because of
your financial position, then you should still be able to open a basic bank
account. You will need to check to see which banks offer one.
A basic bank account is a current account that does not let you have an
overdraft. This protects you from accidently getting extra bank charges.
Types of Bank accounts
Current Accounts allow you to:
Pay money into the account either personally or from wages/benefits.
Withdraw money at a cash machine
Set up online payments such as direct debits and standing orders.
Complete in-store payments with a debit card.
Apply for an overdraft or credit card (depending on credit score).
If you are not allowed to open a current account because of your financial position, then you should still be able to open a basic bank account. You will need to check to see which banks offer one.
Basic Bank Accounts allow you to:
Deposit money
Withdraw money
Transfer money
However, you cannot:
Go into an overdraft (go below 0)
Access credit e.g. a loan or credit card
Write cheques
Some basic bank accounts may not let you set up direct debits
Basic Savings Account allows you to:
Put your money aside in a separate account that earns interest
It is also easily accessible, so you take money out whenever you want.
Proof of Address
Proof of address is something that proves where you live. It’s generally a document from a trusted source that has recently been sent to your home address.
Government-issued letters
Council tax
Benefits statements
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
Department for Works & Pensions (DWP)
Marriage or civil partnership certificate
Company-issued letters
Utility bills
Insurance certificates
Tenancy agreement
TV licence
Bank statements
Proof of address documents can be split into two types:
Government-issued letters
Company-issued letters
Remember to always use printed bills and statements which are not older than 3 months
“Proof of address is very challenging, especially when you’ve just got status. You’re probably not in accommodation yet so haven’t had any bills or anything. You might have to wait for a bill. One bank accepted a housing letter but not all banks would accept that.”
“Try and find your old letters. You never know when you will need them. Don’t throw away important papers (anything that can
prove who you are and what you’ve been up to) and keep them somewhere. I needed proof of address for the past 5 years. Imagine if I was th
rowing things away. Keep letters for hospital appointments and from school etc.”
Magpie Mums say:
Proof of identity
Proof of identity is something that proves who you are. It will most likely be an official document with your full name, date of birth and a photo.
Examples of proof of identity:
Biometric residence permit (BRP)
Once you receive legal permission to stay in the UK, you will usually get a BRP. Your BRP includes your name, your date and place of birth, your fingerprints, a photo of you, your immigration status and information about your access to public funds.
If you lose your BRP or it gets stolen, you must report it and apply for a replacement within 3 months. If you don’t do this, you could be fined up to £1,000 and made to leave the UK.
Passport:
You can use a valid passport as proof of identity. If your passport has expired and you want to renew it, your country’s consulate should be able to assist you.
Provisional driving licence (PDL):
You may be able to use a PDL as a proof of identity or address. You can apply for a PDL online which costs £34. After a successful application, you will get your provisional license and your identity documents posted back to you separately. Find out more here.
Magpie Mums Say: “Make sure you confirm your universal credit first, before you send your ID for your provisional license, because it takes a few weeks for them to send it back.”
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Applying for Benefits
Once you have opened an online account, you can now apply for benefits. The main benefit to apply for is usually universal credit. You can apply for it here.
The application can take time to complete and you will be asked to provide several documents. These include:
Proof of identity
Proof of address
Evidence of dependent children
Bank account details
Evidence of housing costs
If you can’t provide any of these needed for your claim, you must book an appointment with an adviser to discuss this. You may be asked to provide other types of evidence instead. You can check which benefits you are entitled to, how much you can expect to receive, and how to get them using this website.
Magpie Mums Say:
“I was with another charity project, and they helped me apply for universal credit and housing benefit. It was difficult when I was alone, but if you get help it’s not difficult.”
