Elisa's Story

Elisa was referred to the Citizens Advice Liverpool Help to Claim Team by a domestic violence support organisation (she had been relocated to a new area after fleeing domestic violence). 

At first, Elisa’s entitlement to benefits was unclear, as she was an EU national but could not provide evidence of having the right to reside in the UK. The Help to Claim Adviser was able to establish Elisa’s trust so she would feel safe and comfortable enough to discuss her ex-partner’s circumstances. Through this discussion, it became clear that Elisa would have a “derived Right to Reside” (where a child and their primary carer are able to reside in the UK, for as long as necessary, to ensure that the child's rights are protected). 

Elisa was reassured that her ex-partner would not be notified of this, nor would they be informed of where she was now living. The Adviser also referred Elisa to other services within Citizens Advice Liverpool so she would receive support with her EU Settlement Status application for the children, and help with claiming Child Benefit and Carer’s Allowance.