After 24 years in the shadows, 68-year-old finally finds home, health, and happiness with shoc's support
C is a West Indian gentleman who is 68 years of age. He came to Britain in July 2000 on a 6 month tourist visa and never returned to Jamaica when this expired. For the next 20 years C lived under the radar, taking on cash in hand gardening jobs and paying for rented rooms to live in, just muddling along.
As C got older his health began to decline (he had not seen a Doctor since 2000) and he struggled to find work that he could manage to do. As a result he could not pay the rent on his room and he became homeless.
He was found on outreach living in a garage in Slough and told about SHOC; he visited the following day and we registered him to use our services. C had no recourse to public funds so was very grateful to have somewhere he could attend each day for a hot meal, shower, clean clothes and toiletries. We also got C to see a doctor and he was prescribed necessary medication for arthritis.
At the beginning of 2024 C was flagged up as an overstayer by the Home Office and was sent an appointment to attend.
Understandably he was very frightened and was just going to disappear and run away from this situation; pretend it was not happening. With some reassurance of support and with a clear explanation of what he could expect he was convinced to stay and face up to the situation.
Kat began working with him and accompanied him to appointments, helped him to find a solicitor and was there to support him with any worries he had going through the process which took many months.
SWEP came in due to the freezing temperatures and C was placed into a local bed and breakfast by SBC. We managed to persuade the Council to keep C in accommodation after this ended due to his age and health issues on the understanding that we were continuing to support him.
C was finally given leave to remain in UK, he was overjoyed and also proud of himself for facing up to the situation rather than continuing to run away from it.
We then helped C to apply for Pension Credit, get properly registered with a GP, apply for over 60s housing and open his very first bank account at the age of 67.
C has now been given a one bedroom flat in an elderly persons complex and we are supporting him to claim housing benefit, sign on for utilities, find furnishings for his new home and learn how to be a responsible tenant and good neighbour under our Home Plus project.