Asylum Seekers
Key information
This information sheet explains the rules about benefits
if you are an asylum seeker.
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland and
Northern Ireland
NB: This is a very complex area of the law so it is important
that you seek specialist advice. You can use our Find an Adviser
tool to find a local adviser to help you further.
Index
You can read through this information sheet, or go directly to
the sections you want to read by clicking on these links:
What is an asylum seeker?
An asylum seeker is a person waiting for a decision on an
asylum application.
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Benefits
As an asylum seeker you are not entitled to
non-contributory benefits like Income
Support and Housing Benefit (HB
England, Scotland, Wales) (HB Northern
Ireland).
Your status will not prevent you from claiming contributory
benefits but asylum seekers are unlikely to have the required
national insurance
contributions to qualify for these benefits - and in the
case of Jobseeker's Allowance,
they are usually not permitted to work.
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UK Border Agency support
If you are unable to support yourself and your family while your
asylum application is being considered, you may be eligible
for financial support provided by the UK Border
Agency (UKBA) to buy essentials such as food, clothing and
toiletries and/or suitable housing. If UKBA provide housing,
you will have no choice about where you live and it will not be in
London or the South East.
Cash support
Cash support for asylum seekers from the UKBA is less generous
than mainstream benefit rates from the Department for Work and
Pensions (DWP).
The current rates of support are:
- Qualifying couple (married or in a civil partnership):
£72.52
- Lone parent aged 18 or over: £43.94
- Single person aged 18 or over (not lone parent): £36.62
- Single person aged 16/17: £39.80
- Person aged under 16: £52.96
If you are a woman who is pregnant or with children under three,
you can receive extra money to help you buy healthy food:
- Pregnant women receive an extra £3 a week
- A baby under the age of 12 months receives an extra £5 a
week
- Children aged between one and three years receive an extra £3 a
week
If you are pregnant, you may also be able to receive a one-off
£300 maternity payment, if you meet certain requirements. This
money is to help you with the costs of having the baby.
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How to apply for support
Each asylum seeker will have a 'case owner'. If you are
eligible to receive support, and sign an agreement to say you
will obey the conditions upon which the support is provided, your
case owner will arrange for you to collect money from a post office
near where you live.
To collect your cash support, you must show your asylum application
registration card.
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After the asylum decision
Asylum seekers who are granted refugee status, or given
‘Humanitarian Protection’ or ‘Discretionary Leave’, are able to
claim benefits if they satisfy the usual conditions. See Refugees.
Asylum seekers who have had their application rejected and are
waiting to leave the UK should contact one of the UK Border
Agency's regional
asylum support teams. if they need short-term support.
See the Refugee Council leaflet,
Are you destitute at the end of your asylum process? (link opens in
a new window PDF file size 74kb)
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Further information
For further details about the support available to asylum
seekers including information about housing, education, health and
employment visit the UKBA website
asylum support page (link opens in a new window).
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This information has been produced by Broadway.
Last updated: 2 November 2012
Turn2us - to access benefits & grants.
