Cash Assistance programme for refugees with specific needs

Refugees with specific needs and stateless persons can be considered eligible for assessment for the Cash Assistance programme for refugees with specific needs if the following conditions are met:

1. Displaced from Ukraine (Ukrainian, stateless and third-country nationals) due to the impact of the international conflict;
2. Registered under Temporary Protection status in Romania and stayed in country for at least thirty (30) days;
3. Previously enrolled with UNHCR Cash assistance Programmes; or newly arrived from Ukraine in Romania and stayed in country for at least thirty (30) days
   and
4. Not receiving similar cash assistance or voucher assistance from other humanitarian organizations of a value of 500 RON or more per month per person for the period of at least two months. 
   
   AND

The family meets at least one of the following categories: 

• • Has a disability and/or serious medical condition;
  • Is a single parent with no other adult who is able to work in the family;
  • Is an adult of at least 60 years old with no other adult in the family who is able to work;  
  • Has four or more family members in the household;
  • Is single youth between 18 and 21 years old.  

• Eligible recipients will receive 630 Ron per person;
• Cash assistance is provided for four months for everyone found to be eligible for the programme.

Individuals that are eligible to be assessed for UNHCR financial assistance need to have had Temporary Protection Status  for at least thirty (30) days in Romania at the time of your appointment with UNHCR for your assessment interview. Information by the General Directorate for Immigration to access this status can be found here. 

Refugees with specific needs who are newly arrived from Ukraine in Romania, have stayed in Romania for at least thirty (30) days, have benefitted from Temporary Protection Status in Romania for at least thirty (30) days, are requested to fill the online REQUEST FOR APPOINTMENT FORM: https://forms.office.com/e/tVgJDwSrXc

The eligible persons will be notified through phone call to visit the nearest UNHCR enrolment Center for assessment for the Cash Assistance programme for refugees with specific needs. This assessment interview will be more detailed through a series of questions and not everyone who is interviewed will be found eligible for cash assistance.  

Please note that you cannot approach the enrolment centers to request an assessment, but you will need to wait for UNHCR to contact you, after you have filled in the online REQUEST FOR APPOINTMENT FORM.

Please submit only one request per family regardless of the number of eligibility conditions. 

Refugees with specific needs who benefitted from one of UNHCR’s previous cash assistance programmes are requested to fill the online REQUEST FOR APPOINTMENT FORM: https://forms.office.com/e/tVgJDwSrXc

The eligible persons will be notified through phone call to visit the nearest UNHCR enrolment Center for assessment for the Cash Assistance programme for refugees with specific needs.

This assessment interview will be more detailed through a series of questions and different from the one you underwent in past UNHCR cash assistance programmes. Not everyone who is interviewed will be found eligible for cash assistance.  

Please note that you cannot approach the enrolment centers to request an assessment, but you will need to wait for UNHCR to contact you.

Please submit only one request per family regardless of the number of eligibility conditions. 

You will be notified via SMS within 4 to 6 weeks of your assessment interview whether you have been included in this programme or not.  Please note that if you are not in Romania at the time the SMS is sent by UNHCR, your phone may not receive the SMS.  

Please note that you cannot approach the enrolment centers to request clarification about your eligibility for receiving cash assistance, but you will need to wait for UNHCR to contact you.

Not all individuals who are assessed with UNHCR will be automatically eligible for receiving cash assistance. The eligibility depends combined set of vulnerabilities.  

Refugees with specific needs who, following assessment, are found to be eligible for the Cash Assistance programme for refugees with specific needs, will be receiving a SMS confirming their eligibility and pick–up codes for withdrawing cash assistance from MoneyGram.

Pick-up codes for MoneyGram are valid for 20 days from when you receive the SMS. 

Refugees who opt to receive cash assistance through their bank account, they will be notified by UNHCR of their eligibility for receiving cash assistance and credit of cash assistance to their bank account for the 1st instalment only. They may be notified by their bank about the remaining instalments. 

If you have changed your SIM card, lost your SIM card, or have other problems with your number, you may contact UNHCR at 021 201 7873/+40 723 653651 for counselling and approach nearest enrollment center for update of your contact details.  

You need to physically visit the nearest UNHCR enrolment center to update your records and phone number. However, if you do not know the location of the enrolment center, please consult the list below or call one of the enrolment centers:

• Bucharest: At pavilion G5 ROMEXPO – Bulevardul Marasti 65-67. Phone numbers: 0724445293/0724745515 This is open 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Closed on weekends.
• Brasov: Strada Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu, no. 13, Brașov. Phone number: 0753393208.  This is open 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) from 9:00am – 5:00pm. Closed on weekends.
• Galati: Strada Movilei 2-8, Galati.  Phone number: 0724445274. This is open 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Closed on weekends.
• Constanta: Strada Călărași 17B, Constanța. Phone number: 0724381524. This is open 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Closed on weekends.
• Suceava: Str. Mihail Sadoveanu 9A. Phone number: 0730295548 / 0724445376. This is open 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) from 9:00am – 5:00pm. Closed on weekends.

In case of a change in your family composition, all family members need to be physically present in one of the nearest UNHCR enrolment centers to update your details and all supporting documentation in the UNHCR database

When in doubt, you may contact UNHCR at 021 201 7873/+40 723 653651 for more information.

It is not a mandatory requirement, but it is highly recommended to update your bank details in UNHCR’s database and to ensure that your bank account is active.

Should you be found eligible for this programme, UNHCR will send you the cash assistance in your bank account, which will enable you to withdraw your assistance based on your need, and convenience. Unlike the pickup codes, there is no expiry date for withdrawing your assistance from your bank account. 

No, for security reasons we recommend that you personally visit the nearest UNHCR enrolment center to update your banking details in UNHCR’s system. 

You need to provide UNHCR staff in the enrolment centers the banking details (IBAN number, and date of when account has been opened).

You may request your bank to provide you with remittance form/bank details of your account, so that UNHCR can send you cash assistance should you be found to be eligible for it.

At this time, the bank details are required for Romanian bank accounts while bank accounts from Ukraine or other countries cannot be considered. 

For the moment only details of Romanian banks with account in Romanian currency is used.

UNHCR Romania does not accept Revolut or other similar online banking systems.   

• If you are currently enrolled in Romania for multipurpose cash assistance or any other cash/voucher assistance with transfer value of 500 RON or more per month per person for the period of at least two months, you are not eligible for this programme;
• If you were receiving similar assistance from UNHCR in another country, you can be eligible for our Cash Assistance programme for persons with specific needs but you will be no longer be eligible to receive assistance from UNHCR in other countries. 

• Bucharest: At pavilion G5 ROMEXPO – Bulevardul Marasti 65-67. Phone numbers: 0724445293/0724745515 This is open 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Closed on weekends.
• Brasov: Strada Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu, no. 13, Brașov. Phone number: 0753393208.  This is open 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) from 9:00am – 5:00pm. Closed on weekends.
• Galati: Strada Movilei 2-8, Galati.  Phone number: 0724445274. This is open 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Closed on weekends.
• Constanta: Strada Călărași 17B, Constanța. Phone number: 0724381524. This is open 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Closed on weekends.
• Suceava: Str. Mihail Sadoveanu 9A. Phone number: 0730295548 / 0724445376. This is open 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) from 9:00am – 5:00pm. Closed on weekends.

Please note that you will only be interviewed for UNHCR’s Cash Assistance programme for refugees with specific needs if you have been invited to an appointment at one of UNHCR’s enrolment centres. 

All family members need to be present in the enrolment center and for each family member, you should bring the following documents for identification, if available:  

• International passport; 
• Any document showing your Ukrainian Tax number; 
• Temporary Protection Permit for Romania; 
• Internal passport; 
• National identity card; 
• Birth certificate for children under 18 years old; 
• Marriage certificate; 
• Medical documents confirming disability or specific medical conditions; 
• If any of the above is not available, bring any other document that can prove the identity for each family member and relationship of the family members; 
• You may show documents that are not available physically through the DIIA mobile application;
• You should also bring any document that proves your date of entry into Romania;
• Please remember to bring your Romanian mobile phone number. You cannot share phone numbers between different families. 

Children under 18 years of age who are in Romania without parents or family members and do not have anyone to accompany them for enrolment, should contact their social worker or legal representative, or contact UNHCR at 021 201 7873/+40 723 653651 for counselling. 

Please visit the nearest UNHCR enrolment center so that UNHCR staff can support you to reprint your Proof of Enrolment document.

Please ensure to have your passport with you when visiting UNHCR enrolment centers. 

• The documentary requirements for MoneyGram are UNHCR Proof of Enrolment, your passport/identity document or Temporary Status document containing your photo and your pick-up code for collecting your assistance from MoneyGram;
• The documentary requirements for Romanian banks are owning a bank account/account number and identity document with your photo, such as passport, to cash out your assistance from the counter. Should you choose to withdraw your assistance from an ATM, you need to have your debit/bank smart card.  

Note: It will be beneficial for refugees to carry the UNHCR Proof of Enrolment to pick up assistance from a Financial Service Provider. The document eases the verification process.   

From the time you have received the SMS with your MoneyGram pickup code, you have a total of 20 days to go to any MoneyGram branch and retrieve the cash. 

Only refugees that have undergone the assessment interview and have been notified that they are ineligible for the programme can request a reconsideration.

Refugees who have been assessed as ineligible for cash assistance, will receive a SMS from UNHCR. This SMS will confirm the decision of ineligibility and will provide information on the available reconsideration mechanisms.

Only when notified through an SMS, you will receive information guiding you to the available reconsideration mechanisms. Requests for reconsideration can be lodged online.

Requests for reconsideration lodged without prior SMS notification from UNHCR will be considered invalid.

Your request for reconsideration will be reviewed by a UNHCR review panel, and you will be notified of the decision within a period of four to six weeks.  

If your request is approved by the panel, you will be required to undergo a second assessment interview as part of the review process. If you have a second interview, there is no guarantee that you will be determined eligible for the programme. If your request is denied by the panel, you will not be invited to a second assessment interview.  

The duration and deadline of the Cash Assistance programme for refugees with specific needs will be communicated at a later stage.  

• You should receive your assistance in RON – if the agent tells you that this is not possible, please go to another MoneyGram provider;
• Before receiving the assistance, please do not forget to check that the amount is correct;
• All services are free of charge. Any person who offers to help in exchange of money or favors should be reported immediately (UNHCR hotline number is +40 723 653 651 and UNHCR email: [email protected]);
  Please click Here for more information about report misconduct;
• If you are not happy or satisfied with the service, you can communicate it in the link below: https://www.moneygram.com/mgo/us/en/help/contact/  or by phone (0800 885 821) – please press 4 if you wish to speak in Ukrainian.