Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many victims of modern slavery will potentially be affected by the proposed reduction in weekly subsistence payments.

In October 2017, Government announced that it would change the level of financial support paid to all potential victims of modern slavery, using the methodology that determines the subsistence rates paid to asylum seekers to ensure that individuals with comparable living needs receive the same level of support, regardless of their immigration status. All individuals who access support provided by the Victim Care Contract are entitled to receive subsistence payments.

The subsistence rates for victims of modern slavery are provided to cover the essential living needs of potential victims of modern slavery, including food, toiletries, clothing and other essential needs. When considering the level of these rates, the essential needs of potential victims were assessed to be comparable to the needs of asylum seekers, as both cohorts of individuals also receive accommodation and utilities on top of their subsistence payments. This is why the tested and established methodology that has been developed to measure the level of subsistence for asylum seekers will be adopted to measure the level of subsistence for potential victims of modern slavery.

Within this policy, dependent children will receive a higher level of subsistence than they currently receive, and pregnant victims will receive an additional payment of £300. The most vulnerable individuals in NRM support will therefore receive a higher level of financial support following these changes. The policy for subsistence rates also includes the ability for individuals or their support providers to apply for further funding if there is a clear need for victims to receive more financial support to meet their essential living needs

All victims will continue to receive dedicated support tailored to their unique needs as victims of modern slavery. There will be no reduction in the total amount of money spent supporting victims as funding will be reinvested in supporting victims for longer following their conclusive decision. Government has announced that it is trebling the period of move on support for confirmed victims, increasing this period from 14 days to 45 days, to ensure that victims are able to transition into their longer term communities.

We are working with the Salvation Army and the Independent Anti Slavery Commissioner to ensure that the implementation of this change is as smooth as possible.