EU Settlement Scheme advice service update

We wish to provide reassurance to our beneficiaries and sector partners that our EU Settlement Scheme advice line is still operational and able to provide free and confidential legal advice to vulnerable migrant women.

We are aware that information published in the public domain by the Home Office indicated that we were the recipient of a Home Office grant from July 2023-March 2025 and that the information has now been updated showing we are no longer a grant recipient. We recognise it is important to provide clarity on what has occurred.

Rights of Women was one of 17 charities that were awarded grant funding by the Home Office in July 2023 to support vulnerable groups, in our case victims of domestic abuse, to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.

Prior to this, we had been in receipt of similar EU Settlement Scheme grant funding since April 2019. This has allowed us to deliver a specialist advice and support service to migrant victims of domestic abuse affected by the EU Settlement Scheme.

It is with regret that we confirm the Home Office has withdrawn its offer of grant funding from Rights of Women.

After awarding Rights of Women with grant funding in July 2023, the Home Office announced to grant funded organisations a change to its data gathering practices which asked us to request service user consent to provide information to the Home Office that risked identifying applicants as vulnerable victims of domestic abuse who use our service.

We were unable to comply with this request. Despite dialogue with the Home Office, we were unable to reach agreement that would enable Rights of Women to continue participating in the grant funded network going forward.

We want to reassure our service users and sector colleagues that no personally identifying data has been shared with the Home Office. Women put their trust in our service because we protect and safeguard their identities. Rights of Women would never compromise this.