Fitzroy came to the UK in 1980 from Antigua to join his family. Yet after living and working here for decades, when he lost his job he struggled to find new employment because he couldn’t prove that he had a right to live and work in the UK. A few months later, his benefits were also stopped.

Left with no support, Fitzroy became one of the thousands of victims of the Windrush scandal. He became homeless, and was forced to sofa surfing, and even living on the streets at times, for more than a decade. During this time he was the main carer for his young daughter after his daughter’s mother became severely ill. 

In 2018, Praxis helped him to obtain the documentation he needed to access employment and support. Fitzroy and his daughter are now living in a flat provided by the council, but it is in a state of serious disrepair. 

With the help of a solicitor he was able to apply for compensation in 2020, but despite the significant losses and hardships he faced as a direct result of the Windrush scandal, he didn’t hear anything from the Home Office for nearly one year.  

In 2021, 18 months after submitting his claim, he launched a legal action against the Home Office for the protracted delays in processing his and other claimants’ applications. Since then, he has received an offer of compensation, but it falls significantly short of compensating him for all the hardship he has gone through -  including losing years of wages. He is currently in the process of appealing against this offer.

In 2023 he was still waiting for compensation. Praxis helped him speak up against the terrible state of the Windrush compensation scheme on national and local media. He said:

“Every time the Home Office asks for evidence, I have to relive the trauma they put me through. It’s so painful to revisit those memories time and time again. 

The Home Office should never have been put in charge to look after the compensation scheme themselves. They should stop taking so long in processing claims - it feels that they have no intention to pay people their full due, and that they just want to wear us down. This is what is happening with me, after so many years I am disheartened, but I am still going to fight.”