REFER SOMEONE

Do you know a British citizen ( a spouse or their children) in Belgium who is in need of help? 

Please help anyone in need of support to get in touch with us by completing the form below. Please ensure that you have their permission to do so - we would find it difficult, to say the least, to contact persons who did not want assistance but preferred discretion. All contacts made by the BCF are treated in the strictest confidence.     

Please be aware that the provision of assistance by BCF is based upon eligibility as defined in the Fund’s Statutes. Information regarding the financial income and resources of the person(s) requesting assistance, and other potential resources from national social services or organisations may be requested, but only when it is financial help that is sought. Each case will be considered upon its merits given the urgency of the situation, the nature of the defined need and the financial resources of the Fund.

Frequently Asked Referral Questions

Whom can the BCF assist?

The BCF helps Britons or their dependants / partners of any nationality. In all cases the person assisted must be in Belgium.

Does the BCF give direct financial aid?

Financial assistance is normally tailored to suit the particular situation of the person in need. For example, a loan or a grant for a rent guarantee, direct short term assistance for food, heating and electricity, medical costs, dental costs, spectacles, assistance with rent, clothing and furnishings. Some persons receive long term pension supplement payments. Assistance is only provided following a confidential financial assessment.

Does the BCF only give Financial help?

The BCF gives various forms of help. Some people, mainly the elderly, are lonely and are in need of social contact. Members of the BCF make regular visits to these persons, relationships are often built up over a number of years. In such cases advice is often sought from the BCF on matters of renting accommodation and finding homes for them to stay in. Some persons ask for legal advice on such matters as debt, nationality or divorce. In the past, the BCF even provided a holiday for pensioners at the Belgian coast.

Are the people the BCF helps old or young?

The BCF helps persons of all ages, from centenarians to teenagers. Generally speaking, the older persons are those the BCF assists over the long term and the younger persons tend to be the urgent short-term cases.

How does the BCF find the persons in need?

The majority of cases are referred to the BCF by the Fund’s regional contacts in Antwerp, Charleroi, Ghent and Ypres, by the network of sister organisations in Belgium such as the Community Help Service (CHS), the Royal British Legion (RBL), the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA), Holy Trinity Brussels, the Church of Scotland the Brussels British Community Association (BBCA) and, last but not least, the British Embassy and Consulate.