Financial insecurity at end of life for people on work-related visas

University of Stirling

People in the UK on employment visas experience disproportionate vulnerabilities and precarity at end of life. Being terminally ill, or providing informal care to someone who has a terminal condition, means that there is a risk of contravening visa work requirements, and lead to poverty and impact on the whole family system. However, this is an under-researched topic, and the financial precarity of such individuals and families is not well documented.

We will conduct interviews (in participants’ first language) to understand how the person with the diagnosis and their relatives manage employment visas, reductions in income and the UK’s hostile environment for non-UK citizens.

We will also interview health and social care practitioners about their experiences of supporting people dependent upon work visas for their residency in the UK, and Home Office employees.

The sample size will be based on having sufficient to be able to generate a coherent and helpful theory and understanding): up to 20 patients/family members, up to 20 health/care/third sector/legal staff, up to 20 policy staff.

We anticipate recruitment of patients and families may be difficult and will use all strategies possible to identify participants and hear their experiences.

Our analysis will be informed by a core ethical drive to understand, name and tackle inequities. Dissemination will focus on people and organisations with structural power to change the supports and constraints to this group. We also seek to change public and policy discourse to promote greater awareness, insight and empathy.