Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what funding they have allocated to organisations dedicated to helping unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

The Home Office provides funding to all local authorities who look after unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC). The national rate is £41,610 per annum for under 16 year olds and £33,215 per annum for 16 and 17 year olds. We also provide local authorities with £200 per week for former UASC who turn 18 and qualify for leaving care support. These rates were increased significantly in July 2016 by 20%, 28% and 33% respectively.

The Home Office provides funding to the Refugee Council to support UASC through the Children’s Panel. The role of the Children’s Panel is to advise and assist unaccompanied children through the asylum process, and to support them in their interactions with the Home Office and other central and local government agencies. Children making an asylum claim in their own right are also eligible for assistance in the form of legal aid.