Employment

If you have arrived from Ukraine on either the Homes for Ukraine scheme or the Family Scheme, you are able to work in the UK. Before starting work, you will need:

• a National Insurance number
• proof of identification.

National Insurance number

A National Insurance (NI) number is just for you. It is a set of letters and numbers that belongs to you and never changes. Everyone who wants to work or claim benefits in the UK must have an NI number.

• To get an NI number, you must be 16 or over and live in Great Britain or Northern Ireland.
• If you do not have one, you should claim for Universal Credit or other benefits anyway and ask for an NI number.
• You can apply for a NI number online or at any Job Centre Plus in Islington.

You can find more information on how to apply online on the government's website.

Finding a job

There are many places you can look for jobs and most of these are now online. If you are looking for a job with a particular employer, you should check their website for any vacancies they may have. You can search for types of job, level of role and industry using these job listings websites.

• Indeed
• Reed
• Charity Jobs
• Environment Jobs
• Total Jobs

You should also look out for refugee job fairs, which are attended by employers who are happy to hire refugees. It may be easier to find a role with these employers because, for example, they may not need you to be able to speak fluent English. You can keep track of upcoming job fairs by searching for them on Eventbrite.

There are also dedicated teams at the council who can help you with your job search:

• iWork team
• Refugee and Migrant service – please email resettlement@islington.gov.uk to get in touch.

Self employment and volunteering

It is important that you understand the rules and regulations around being self-employed in the UK are to ensure you are to ensure you are complying with paying tax and declaring income. You can find more information about starting as self-employed in the UK on GOV.UK.

If you would like to find a volunteering role, you can find a comprehensive list of volunteering vacancies available in Islington.