Pedro's story | People should not be trapped in poverty

Pedro came to the UK in July 2018 with his girlfriend. They settled in Wales and in April 2020 he secured his pre-settled status. He worked for close to two years, but there were some gaps in his employment when he separated from his partner, fell into homelessness and struggled with alcohol.

He claimed Universal Credit for a few months but then his benefits were cut. He was convicted of theft, sent to prison and then to an immigration removal centre. His immigration solicitor successfully appealed his deportation order and Pedro was released to a bail hostel in the south of England.

Far away from his Welsh home and in need of support to get back on his feet, he made a new claim for Universal Credit but that was refused on right to reside grounds.

He is not yet able to work due to ongoing health problems and when his bail accommodation runs out he is at risk of homelessness again. He survives on food bank vouchers and soup kitchens, while trying to find any kind of work that would give him a minimum of income and a chance to get welfare support.

28% of destitute households are headed by a migrant, despite migrants constituting only 14% of the overall population (www.jrf.org.uk/report/destitution-uk-2020).