WHAT DO ASYLUM SEEKERS GET? They can get housing and money.
The cash allowance helps to provide support for asylum seekers and their families. The housing and money covers a waiting period while the NASS decide whether to grant asylum or not.
Asylum support also applies to families with children. As a rule, children will go to a free state school. They may also get free healthcare provided by the National Health Service.
Those who get refused asylum must prepare to leave the United Kingdom. But, you can still apply for short-term support even after a refusal.
Note: You can make a call to an asylum helpline to ask for free help with asylum support or some short-term support. The rules allow any asylum seeker to ask for a cash allowance, somewhere to live, or both.
Asylum Support Housing Advice
Part of asylum support includes somewhere to live for those who need it. Asylum support housing can be a hostel, a flat, a house, or bed and breakfast accommodation.
Note: The rules of asylum do not give you a choice or an influence in where you live. As a rule, you will not get placed in housing in London or the south-east area of England.
Asylum Cash Support
If you get asylum you can collect the money from a local post office once a week. Asylum cash support helps to pay for the essential things you need. This includes food, basic clothing, and some simple toiletries.
How much do asylum seekers get in support if accepted? Each person in the household gets £40.85 per week.
If You are Denied Asylum
People who get refused the standard asylum support rates will be given:
- A place to live.
- A payment card amounting to £40.85 per person for clothing, food, and toiletries.
But, they will not get:
- The asylum cash support.
- The payment card (unless they take the place of housing offered to them).
Extra Money: Mothers and Young Children
Those who are pregnant will get extra money to pay for healthy food. The same applies to a mother with a baby or child under 3 years old. The exact amount of asylum support rates you get would depend on the situation.
- Pregnant Mother: Extra payment of £3 a week.
- Baby (under 1): Extra payment of £5 a week.
- Child (aged 1 to 3): Extra payment of £3 a week.
Asylum Support Maternity Payment
The asylum support process has a facility for a one-off £300 maternity payment. You can apply for the baby grant if you are due to give birth within 8 weeks or your newborn baby is less than 6 weeks old.
You can still apply for a one-off £250 asylum support maternity payment even if you get refused asylum. But, it only applies to mothers who are due to give birth within 8 weeks or their newborn baby is less than 6 weeks old.
Applying for Asylum Support Maternity Grant
There is only one method used to apply for the asylum support maternity grant. The application is the same process no matter if you are still an asylum seeker or your asylum got refused.
You must first get the ‘maternity form MAT B1‘ from your doctor. You can then apply for the maternity payment at the same time as your application for asylum support.
In some cases you might get pregnant after applying for asylum support. If so, contact the support team who dealt with the initial application for asylum support.
Asylum Health Support
Often, you will get free National Health Service healthcare as part of the aid package. NHS asylum health support means you get to see a doctor and you can get hospital treatment. As a rule you will also get:
- Free prescriptions for medicine and free dental care for your teeth.
- Free eyesight tests and help paying for spectacles.
Asylum Seeker Educational Support
State schools are free and the average school leaving age is 16 in the United Kingdom. Your child or children must go to a state school if they are between 5 and 17 and you get asylum.
Note: In some cases you can also apply for free school meals for your children.
Asylum Support Eligibility Criteria
If you are homeless or do not have money to buy food you can apply to get asylum support in the United Kingdom.
There is no guarantee the National Asylum Support Service will grant your application. But, there are other options even if you have been refused asylum.
The extra help is for people who are homeless with no money to buy food. To get it you must also show a reason why you cannot yet leave the United Kingdom. If so, you might get:
- Short term housing.
- Help with prescriptions for medicine, dental care, eyesight tests, and glasses.
- A payment card to use on food and toiletries.
Note: People do not get the payment card unless they take the housing. They do not receive any cash in hand.
Asylum Support How to Claim
Cash Support and Housing for Asylum Seekers
Apply to the UK Visas and Immigration department. Use form ‘Application for asylum support: form ASF1‘ to claim housing and cash support.
Send the completed form to the asylum support casework team address.
Asylum Support Casework Team
Email: [email protected]
PO Box 471
Dover
CT16 9FN
Casework Team Phone Number
Telephone: 0808 8000 630
Fax: 0870 336 9627
Monday to Friday: 9am to 5.30pm
Email: [email protected]
Check the call charges to 0870 telephone numbers.
If the standard allowance will not cover your needs you might be able to apply for some extra support. But, you will need to show that your needs cannot be met in any other way.
You will need to use ‘form ASF2‘ and then contact the Asylum Support Application Service. Their contact details are on the form. You can also contact the asylum helpline for assistance with form applications.
If You Get Refused Asylum
Being refused asylum means you must return to your country without delay. You can apply for short-term support to help while you prepare to leave the United Kingdom. Use the same ‘form ASF1‘ to apply for the short term support.
If you have a specific medical issue you will need to complete a section 4 medical declaration form. The medical declaration is inside appendix B of the guidance notes. Section 4 ‘support’ inside the guide explains how to apply for extra help including:
- Getting a birth certificate for a new baby.
- Medical appointments and maternity payments.
Note: Send all the filled in forms to the asylum support casework team by post, by fax, or by email.
School Education for Children
You can also contact your local council authority if you have children who need to attend a state school.
- How to ‘apply for a primary school place‘ in the United Kingdom.
- How to ‘apply for a secondary school place‘ in the United Kingdom.
NHS Healthcare
The National Health Service ‘NHS 111’ can help with non emergency health problems. Contact them for advice and minor treatments.
NHS 111
Telephone: 111
Telephone: 18001 111
You can also phone NHS Help With Health Costs. They can help with prescriptions for medicine. In some cases they will also provide help for eyesight tests, buying glasses, and dental care.
NHS Help With Health Costs
Telephone: 0300 330 1343
Find out about call charges to 0300 numbers.
Further Help and Advice
Contact the asylum helplines for assistance filling in any application forms. More information about asylum support is available from the customer contact centre. Send them an email for an Application Registration Card appointment.
Asylum Support Customer Contact Centre
Telephone: 0808 801 0503
Monday to Friday: 8am to 8pm
Application Registration Card Appointments
Email: [email protected]
Asylum Support Appeal Information and Advice
In some cases you can appeal an asylum support decision ‘to the First-tier Tribunal (Asylum Support)’. UK asylum rules and regulations say you can only start a support appeal if:
- You already applied for asylum support and got turned down.
- You already had a claim for asylum support and it got stopped.
Contacting Asylum Support
Contact the relevant casework team if they refused your application for asylum support. They will help if you have questions about making an appeal against the decision.