Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her 5th March policy announcements on the asylum system on levels of homelessness in the UK.

Replacing the statutory duty to support with a power, and making it a condition of support not to work illegally were included in the 5^th March policy announcements. The aim of these measures is to reduce misuse of support, not to make people homeless or deny support to those who genuinely need it and have no way to support themselves.

Our intention is that support will only go to those who are genuinely destitute and actively engaging with the asylum system, not those seeking to exploit it. These changes will give us greater flexibility to take firmer action against individuals who do not comply.

The Restoring Order and Control statement set out the overall direction of the future policy. The intention is to replace the current statutory duty with a more flexible framework, using the discretionary power that can take account of a wider range of factors when assessing and providing asylum support. These factors may include:

- Whether individuals have alternative means of supporting themselves such as right to work

- Whether individuals have complied with relevant immigration conditions; and

- behaviour and conduct in the UK.

Support will only be withdrawn where there has been a breach of the rules. Any withdrawal of support is done on a case-by-case basis, with any mitigating circumstances or vulnerabilities considered in the decision-making process.

We are engaging with MHCLG and other stakeholders on the potential impact of these changes, particularly on homelessness. We will also ensure that the needs of vulnerable people are properly considered as part of the decision-making process, including the needs of families with children. We are committed to ensuring that proposals are considered carefully, so that they support creation of a system which is both fair and sustainable.