26 March: Update on FRU response to the Coronavirus

We have updated our response to the virus. We will continue to represent all clients whose case we had already agreed to take on but we will extend our pause on signing out new cases for a further 2 weeks.

This means that we can accept case referrals if the hearing has been listed after 23 April 2020, with the standard proviso that we can’t guarantee to represent every case that is referred to us. 

We have extended the pause on new cases because the position in relation to how tribunal hearings will proceed is still unclear. After this further 2 week pause we expect to be in a better position to make a more substantive response to the situation.

Further to the government guidance as of 23 March 2020 as to the closure of all non-essential premises (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/874732/230320_-_Revised_guidance_note_-_finalVF.pdf), most of our staff will be supporting our clients from home, and only visit the office on occasion for essential purposes.

As such, whether you are a FRU volunteer, from a referral agency, an existing client, or interested in having your case referred to FRU, we would request that you please no longer send us any communications via post, and contact us instead on admin@thefru.org.uk or on 020 7611 9555. Please do not try to contact us by post, because we cannot guarantee that our post can be monitored on a regular basis.

Please check back here for further updates.