Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to publish her Department’s lessons learned review of the transition to ASPEN cards for asylum seekers in summer 2021.

The Government is aware of the report. The vast majority of service users have now received and activated their new Aspen card since the service went live on Monday 24th May 2021.

These cards are working and being used successfully to make purchases or withdraw funds (dependent on asylum seeker support type). Where replacement cards have been requested, they are being actioned swiftly and are being dispatched to service users accordingly. Card activation rates continue to increase. We are proactively working with partners to ensure that any eligible service users receive their new Aspen card and activate it successfully. In the interim, Emergency Cash Payments (ECPs) are being provided to support their critical needs.

There are no plans to publish the department’s Lessons learned review.