Financial wellbeing support for former prisoners

Aviva will provide match-funding up to £250 on all individual donations. 

Who we are

Prisoners Abroad is a UK-based human rights and welfare charity supporting British people in prison overseas, their families, and those returning to the UK after serving a prison sentence abroad. We provide practical support and guidance to vulnerable people who are subjected to harsh conditions in overseas prisons, experience judgment and isolation at home as a result of their relative’s imprisonment, and face countless barriers to reintegration on their return to the UK. 

Last year, we helped over 1,100 British people in overseas prisons, over 1,500 of their family members and friends, and over 230 ex-prisoners on their return to the UK, all of whom rely on Prisoners Abroad to provide practical support and guidance at a time when they feel desperately alone.

Our project

Prisoners Abroad’s resettlement service supports people returning to the UK after serving a prison sentence abroad. Our service users often arrive with no support network, few belongings, little money and nowhere to sleep. Statutory provision from the probation service is only available for people released from UK prisons – those returning from prison overseas are exempt, meaning without our service they may have nowhere else to turn. 

An increasing number of countries deport foreign nationals after they serve a prison sentence, regardless of how long they have lived in that country. Last year, for example, 71% of new arrivals had been out of the UK longer than 10 years, with 19% having been away for 40 years. Someone we supported recently last lived here in 1952. 

The reality of leaving their families behind to start a new life in a country unfamiliar to them is completely overwhelming. Without the support provided by Prisoners Abroad they would be in danger of falling into homelessness and poverty, leading to a higher risk of offending to survive.

Our vision is for every former prisoner who uses our service to have the support they need to begin a new life with hope, helping them to avoid homelessness and poverty, and find accommodation and employment. A fundamental part of this is ensuring their financial wellbeing in the first instance, before giving people the tools they need to be financially independent.

Our resettlement service works to achieve this by finding former overseas prisoners somewhere to stay, providing grants for food and travel, and helping them access the right benefits, healthcare, and specialist employment support. 

With the money raised, we can help beneficiaries with budgeting, accessing online services, and making informed financial decisions, which is a key part of the work we do. Support is delivered by Prisoners Abroad’s resettlement officers, who provide tailored 1-2-1 advice and guidance, such as:

• Financial literacy and budgeting workshops to teach essential financial skills, enabling individuals to manage resources effectively.
• Employment support, such as CV writing and interview coaching, to help returnees secure sustainable employment.
• Access to financial services. Resettlement officers guide returnees through complex processes such as opening a bank account, helping them overcome barriers to financial stability.
• Housing and benefits advice on housing options and benefit eligibility, which helps to reduce financial stress and prevent homelessness. These are also complicated processes that people would have great difficulty with without the 1-2-1 guidance of Prisoners Abroad staff.
• Support groups for former prisoners to share experiences and provide practical advice, fostering community and confidence at a particularly lonely time.
• Digital skills training on essential financial technology such as online banking, improving digital literacy and empowering individuals to manage their finances independently.
• Building confidence and reducing financial anxiety. Combining wellbeing support with financial guidance helps individuals to manage money-related anxiety and set achievable goals.

This project gives people the independence they need to take control of their lives at a time when many feel hopeless and alone. By delivering this programme of support and giving people the tools to manage their financial wellbeing, we can provide hope and opportunity to vulnerable people who are too often forgotten.

Tony’s story

Tony returned to the UK after serving a prison sentence in the USA. Here he shares how support from Prisoners Abroad’s resettlement service helped him get back on his feet:

“After my deportation, Prisoners Abroad was invaluable in setting me up. They helped me prepare for release, told me where to go and what to do when I arrived back in the UK, got me into emergency accommodation for a couple of months, and helped set up my universal credit application. I had no money to fall back on, so would have been at a complete loss without that guidance.

Prisoners Abroad helped me to find safety. Having somewhere to live is so important, because once you’ve got that you can start getting your mindset right, but it’s hard to do one without the other. 

 After all of Prisoners Abroad's support, I'm in my own flat now and I love it - it’s absolutely perfect for me. Prisoners Abroad even sent me a moving in card signed by all their staff. I enjoy having my own space after all the years crowded in one place with other people. My main acquaintances are those I work with and I have a lot of time for them. 

I took part in Prisoners Abroad's Work Preparation Programme and they referred me to another charity who gave me some training whilst I volunteered for them as a peer advisor. I now hold a Level 3 qualification in Information, Advice and Guidance, and I've since joined the charity as a caseworker.

I know firsthand how very difficult it is to integrate back into society. The loneliness of a prison sentence stays with you long after you've been released. I’m 67 years old now, but I've prioritised getting back on my feet and getting myself trained, and I want my contribution to be positive."