Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps the Government has taken to support asylum seekers in the UK who are (a) living in relative poverty, (b) affected by mental health issues and (c) homeless.

The Government is under a legal obligation to provide support to all asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute.

The level of the weekly allowance is reviewed annually to ensure it meets the essential living needs of asylum seekers. From 21 December 2022, the government increased the main rate of asylum support that is provided under sections 4 and 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 to £45 per week on an interim basis. Asylum seekers also have access to free NHS care, which includes mental health services.