CareFund
CAREFUND
“Last month I borrow from friend. Then TWC2 $20 give me, shampoo and soap buy.” – Sofikul
The Compassion and Relief for Emergencies Fund supports migrant workers who have fallen through the cracks, with no other way to get help. Covering urgent needs such as medical and dental care, transport and in rarer cases housing, it is a last resort, when care can’t wait.
Two workers (backs to camera) with unpaid salaries get help from our legal support team. Their cases are going to court, and CareFund helps to defray filing and court costs for them.
CareFund is a way to ensure that migrant workers who have a case, are supported for the duration of their case, without which they may be forced to abandon their rightful claims.
Under the law, employers must provide their ex-employees who were Work Permit holders (even those who have filed claims against them) with continued housing and meals. For injured workers, employers are obliged to support their medical care and physiotherapy.
Even so, there are cases, thankfully uncommon, when employers shirk their healthcare, housing and meals responsibilities, or they have absconded, and TWC2 has to step in. Moreover, out-of-work migrant workers have other needs besides these basic ones. They need transport money (how else to go to a hospital appointment?), phone money, and to pay filing fees for their statutory claims.
Workers who were previously on S-Passes don’t even enjoy the skimpy safety net that Work Permit holders have. For example, their employers are not responsible for housing and meals. In these cases, TWC2 may have to assist.
We use CareFund carefully. It is not a substitute for what employers, insurers, or the State are responsible for. Wherever possible, TWC2 first works to secure that support, and only turns to the Fund when all other options have been exhausted.
To disburse the Fund in a transparent and accountable manner, TWC2 has subcommittees which oversee different areas of spending. The subcommittees establish eligibility guidelines controlling the benefits we extend to workers and deliberate and decide on requests which exceed these thresholds.
Read on for more details of how migrant workers are assisted through our CareFund.
CareFund – more details
CareFund supports urgent medical needs, especially when employers of migrant workers are unable or unwilling (outside their legal obligations) to foot the bill. We step in to get the worker the treatment he needs.
The fund pays for major operations to prevent long-term disability, clinical tests, scans, and X-rays. In 2025, we spent a total of $5.9k to support 25 workers’ medical needs.
While employers are still in charge of food and accommodation for workers during their claims, travel expenses are not included. As migrant workers are usually not allowed to work during their claim period, many are in great financial distress, and borrow money to meet basic needs.
FareGo, TWC2’s dedicated pocket of transport funds, provides eligible workers up to $50 every month to travel for medical visits or MOM appointments. In 2025, FareGo benefitted 262 workers in need.
With the support of the Indian Women’s Association (IWA), Project Roof was started in 2014 to provide shelter to a handful of most needy clients. As employers are required by law to provide housing for workers during their claims, we step in only under extraordinary circumstances. In 2025, Project Roof provided shelter for 15 workers.
TWC2’s legal support team is committed to empowering migrant workers to navigate effectively within a complex and costly legal system. Among the services we offer, we help workers with sourcing pro-bono or low-bono lawyers, systematic evidence gathering and collation, the formulation of grounds for their claims, and emotional support.
In 2025, we assisted on 12 cases, and our expenditure of $1.2k consisted primarily of filing fees for employment claims.
Read more about our legal advocacy .
In helping migrant workers get past a difficult period in their lives, a wide range of assistance is needed, beyond food, housing and transport. All these additional needs, including financial relief, are parked under the term “CareFund General”. In 2025, we spent $30,426 in this area.
Examples
“Actually TWC2 helped with everything. My case, food, they can help with everything. Transport money also.”
After Robiul was underpaid for 5 months of work as an electrician, he came to TWC2 to file a salary claim. He had borrowed money to pay the recruitment fees for this job, and was facing huge pressure as the sole breadwinner for his family.
With support from CareFund, he is in a better position to pursue his owed wages. Rather than settling at TADM for his boss’ offer of 20% of his owed salary, he is now fighting for the full amount of claim at the Employment Claims Tribunal, with the help of our team. We wish him all the best!
