There are three main types of employment status in the UK, each with different rights.

Worker

A worker is a broad term which also includes ‘employees’ and other people who have a contract (written or verbal) to work or provide services in return for a reward. Workers do not have an employment contract and their roles are usually on a short-term basis. For example, agency workers, freelancers, casual workers, zero hour contract workers, and seasonal workers.

Employee

An employee works under an employment contract, an agreement which sets out their employment conditions, rights, responsibilities, and duties which must be followed by both employers and employees until the contract ends or the terms are changed.

This employment status is often seen as more desirable due to the enhanced workers’ rights it offers. However, you may find that agency or casual work better aligns with your preferences as you settle into the UK. It’s important to seek out the type of work that best suits your life and circumstances.

Self-Employed and Contractor

Being self-employed or a contractor means you run your own business and take responsibility for its success or failure. Importantly, if you are self-employed you will not have tax deducted on a monthly basis and instead you will have to complete a Self-Assessment tax process and pay in a lump sum.

People who are self-employed do not have the same rights (see below) as workers and employees.

If you have an eVisa or expired Biometric Resident Permit (BRP) you need to use Home Office Online services to generate a ‘share code’ which your potential employer can use to complete your right to work check.

If you applied for your visa via the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app you can sign into the View and Prove service to generate a ‘share code’ for your potential employer.

The UK Government provides guidance on these processes in their guidance documents: Immigration information for Ukrainians in the UK: your next steps – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

If you experience issues during providing your right to work in the UK, you can contact the UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre for direct telephone and email support.

A National Insurance (or NI) Number is a identifying string of numbers and letters which is unique to you. Every person in the UK who is 16 plus, and eligible to work, has one.

If you already have an eVisa you may also have an NI number. If you don’t, you will need to apply for one if you plan to work or access benefits in the UK.

You are able to work before you have your NI number by proving your right to work.

Information on proving your right to work can be found further up this page.

Some jobs in the UK may ask you to prove your level of English Language proficiency according to recognised standards.

IELTS provides skill level scores from 0 to 10 across four sections of testing (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking).

OET provides a similar test for healthcare professionals, with specific tests for 12 fields.

Employees are eligible for all the same rights as workers, as well as additional rights:

• Statutory Sick Pay
• Statutory Pay and Leave for Maternity, Paternity, Adoption and Shared Parental
• Minimum notice periods for when employment will be ending
• Protection against unfair dismissal
• The right to request flexible working arrangements
• Time off for emergencies
• Statutory Redundancy Pay

Some of these rights will not be available to you until you have worked at the same place for a certain period of time.

Full time hours will vary from one workplace to another, but usually the hours will be between 35 and 40 hours per week.

Jobcentre Plus – Contact Jobcentre Plus: How to contact Jobcentre Plus – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

• Jobcentre Plus are branches used by the Department of Work and Pensions. If you are claiming any benefits, including Universal Credit, you will have already been to or been in contact with your local Jobcentre Plus.

Refugee Employment Network – REN Careers (refugeeemploymentnetwork.co.uk)

• Refugee Employment Network (REN) is a network of organisations who want to provide, and support, meaningful employment opportunities for refugees. They have their own jobs board, linked above.

United for Ukraine – United For Ukraine | Job Search

• United for Ukraine has a jobs vacancy board which they state has opportunities from employers who have specifically stated they are welcoming and supportive of Ukrainian nations filling the positions.

The Ukraine Refugee Help page lists many additional websites where you can find job listings for your local area – Finding Work – Ukrainian Refugee Help.

Job Fairs – where employers will set up stalls and you attend in person to meet them – are also useful for job seeking. When attending, dress smart and bring a copy of your CV (employment and education history) to pass out to employers.

Recruitment/Job Websites – websites which list large numbers of jobs from lots of different employers. For example, Indeed, Reed, Total Jobs and Monster Jobs.

If you are successful in securing a job, there are employment checks which will take place before you receive an unconditional offer of employment. These may include:

• Right to Work Check (see above section on this process)
• Criminal Record Checks (DBS)
• Health Checks
• Proof of Identity
• References

Accessing these benefits depends on criteria related to your finances (e.g. your income and savings). The Turn2Us Benefits Calculator can help you understand what benefits you may be entitled to. It has been adapted to include Ukrainian Visa holders in its answer options.

Universal Credit – a means-tested benefit which is available to those with low or no income, among other factors.

To get help with Universal Credit, you should contact:

• Universal Credit Helpline, 0800 328 5644 (Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm)
• Your Local Job Centre Plus
• Help to Claim Service, provided by Citizens Advice.

Pension Credit – available if you are over state pension age (66 years old) and are on a low income. The best way to get help with Pension Credit is to call the phone service on 0800 99 1234.

Non-Means Tested Benefits

Access to these benefits is based on criteria not related to your finances. Such as:

Child Benefit – available for one person to claim for a child with no limit on the number of children. The children must be under 16 or under 20 and in approved education or training.

Eldest or only child – £21.80 per week
Additional children – £14.45 per child per week

Additional Benefits

There are additional benefits you may be eligible to claim, for example if you or a family member is disabled. Use the benefits checker to see what you may be able to claim.

If you are residing in England, Wales or Scotland, you are able to continue using your Ukrainian driving license for up to 4 years and 6 months after becoming a resident, as outlined by the government. This applies to cars (up to 3,500kg) and motorcycles.

After 4.5 years, you must exchange your driving license for a GB (Great Britain) license. You can do this was the DVLA online.

If you are, or will be, residing in Northern Ireland, you can use your driving license for up to three years.

Public transport and its availability varies massively depending on where you are in the UK. In most areas you will be able to chose between a train and a bus to get to your location, with buses serving more local routes and trains doing longer distance journeys.

Private companies running buses and trains varies by location. The best way to find out how to travel near you is to use Google Maps to work out routes.

To receive benefits and salary in the UK, you will need to open a UK based bank account. It is important to consider what you need from a bank account, for example whether international payments to Ukraine are fee-free.

UK Government guidance on finding a find account and using it to claim your arrival payment from the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme can be found here.

The following UK Banks have to provide basic bank accounts which do not charge any fees to open. They also do not provide overdrafts, which prevents easy-access to debt. All of the banks listed directly below will have some form of ‘branch’ where you can speak to them in-person about accounts.

Where Ukraine specific pages are available, they have been linked:

• Barclays UK
  • Ukrainian Refugee Accounts (barclays.co.uk)
• The Co-operative Bank
  • Ukrainian Refugee Bank Account | The Co-operative Bank
• HSBC UK
  • Support for Ukraine – HSBC UK
• Lloyds Banking Group (including Halifax and Bank of Scotland)
  • Ukraine Support | Help and Support | Lloyds Bank
  • Ukraine Support | Help Centre | Halifax
  • Ukraine support | Help centre | Bank of Scotland
• Nationwide Building Society
  • Donate to Ukraine | Nationwide
• NatWest Group (including RBS and Ulster brands)
  • Ukrainian Refugees | NatWest Bank Accounts
  • Ukrainian Refugee Account Opening | Royal Bank of Scotland Bank Accounts (rbs.co.uk)
  • Ukrainian Refugee Account Opening | Ulster Bank NI
• Santander UK
  • Situation in Ukraine – FAQs for customer | Santander UK
• TSB
• Virgin Money

There are also online bank account providers in the UK, for example Monzo. These can provide easy access to bank accounts for refugees, however you will be unable to speak with anyone face-to-face about your account.

Bank Accounts usually ask for a valid email address and a UK Phone Number when you sign up.

The easiest way to get a UK phone number is to get a pre-paid SIM card from a network provider (EE, O2, Vodafone and Three) or a brand which runs on their network. Some may have a shop near you where you can get your card in person. Supermarkets like Tesco, Sainsbury, Morrisons and Asda may also have pre-paid SIM cards to buy in-person (For example, Tesco Mobile).

Look into how expensive it will be to call Ukraine from your new SIM card. It is useful to look for a provider with low international call fees, or no international call fees in Europe.