Immigration: Disadvantaged

(asked on 30th November 2021) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussion she has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on mitigating financial hardship for people in the immigration and asylum application process.


Answered by
Kevin Foster Portrait
Kevin Foster
This question was answered on 7th December 2021

Asylum seekers and others who do not have leave to remain in the UK on a condition that gives them access to public funds are not eligible to benefits provided by the Department of Work and Pensions.

If an asylum seeker would otherwise be destitute the Home Office provides support under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, pending consideration of their asylum claim and any appeal. This support usually consists of free accommodation and a weekly financial allowance to cover other essential living needs.

Section 95 of support is not available to other groups of people applying for leave to remain in the UK.

Our policy allows asylum seekers to work if their claim has been outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own. Those permitted to work are restricted to jobs on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL), which is based on expert advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee.

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