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1338528

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the consistency across the UK of the provision of emergency cash payments by accommodation providers to asylum seekers during the transition of the Aspen card contract.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
	tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
	uin	19665
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2021 answer text <p>Emergency cash payments (ECPs) are a longstanding operational contingency provision in place for several years.</p><p>ECPs have been used to support service users who had issues with their Aspen card over the transition period. All accommodation providers have been instructed to ensure ECPs are provided to those in critical need of support during this period. Their use has been further adapted to meet the demand and remove barriers to authorisation which allow swift deployment.</p><p>Those who have issues or are unsure how they can activate their cards are able to contact the 24/7 Migrant Help helpline. There was an initial spike in relation to the volume of calls during the first week after going live, however the number of calls to Migrant Help has since reduced. Migrant Help also maintained the availability of their webchat and the Raise and Issue communication channels.</p><p>Migrant Help increased staffing numbers to support service users in the weeks ahead of the new service going live and thereafter during the transition. Additionally, during the transition to the new payment provider, there was an out of hours operational team working alongside Migrant Help to ensure ECPs could be provided to those who required a payment. Migrant Help continue to be the first point of contact to support service users in relation to any issues faced regarding asylum support.</p><p>Fully functioning Aspen cards, including translated instructions on how to activate them, were distributed to all service users via first class post prior to the transition date of 24 May. The majority of eligible card holders had completed this activation process by 24 May and have had access to funds via their card.</p><p>However, some card holders had yet to successfully activate their card by this date. As part of the transition of services we are working with our new card service supplier PFS to enhance data and understand the reasons behind the residual cards which are yet to be activated.</p><p>In addition, our accommodation and advice service providers are working closely to target support to all such service users to encourage and assist with those who are still yet to activate their cards. This includes ensuring subsistence support remains available through access to Emergency Cash Payments where appropriate and replacement cards are issued where delivery problems are reported to us.</p><p>It is not currently possible therefore to provide an accurate breakdown of the reasons some cards have not been activated or what proportion of this is due to a delivery issue.</p><p>Our latest available management information suggests the following approximations for the activation of cards:</p><ul><li>As of 28/05 – approximately 73% of service users has activated their card</li><li>As of 04/06 – this figure rose to approximately 83%</li><li>As of 22/06 –over 93% of service users had activated their new Aspen card<br></li></ul><p>It should be noted these figures have been taken from a live operational database and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.</p><p>We continue to work with strategic delivery partners to ensure all cards are successfully received and activated with the appropriate service users being targeted for assistance.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster grouped question UIN 19666 19667 question first answered 25/06/2021 12:21:40 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster previous answer version 9166 answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1338529

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of people who were entitled to receive asylum support that did not have a functioning Aspen card on (a) Monday 24 May, (b) Friday 28 May and (c) Friday 4 June 2021.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
	tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
	uin	19666
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2021 answer text <p>Emergency cash payments (ECPs) are a longstanding operational contingency provision in place for several years.</p><p>ECPs have been used to support service users who had issues with their Aspen card over the transition period. All accommodation providers have been instructed to ensure ECPs are provided to those in critical need of support during this period. Their use has been further adapted to meet the demand and remove barriers to authorisation which allow swift deployment.</p><p>Those who have issues or are unsure how they can activate their cards are able to contact the 24/7 Migrant Help helpline. There was an initial spike in relation to the volume of calls during the first week after going live, however the number of calls to Migrant Help has since reduced. Migrant Help also maintained the availability of their webchat and the Raise and Issue communication channels.</p><p>Migrant Help increased staffing numbers to support service users in the weeks ahead of the new service going live and thereafter during the transition. Additionally, during the transition to the new payment provider, there was an out of hours operational team working alongside Migrant Help to ensure ECPs could be provided to those who required a payment. Migrant Help continue to be the first point of contact to support service users in relation to any issues faced regarding asylum support.</p><p>Fully functioning Aspen cards, including translated instructions on how to activate them, were distributed to all service users via first class post prior to the transition date of 24 May. The majority of eligible card holders had completed this activation process by 24 May and have had access to funds via their card.</p><p>However, some card holders had yet to successfully activate their card by this date. As part of the transition of services we are working with our new card service supplier PFS to enhance data and understand the reasons behind the residual cards which are yet to be activated.</p><p>In addition, our accommodation and advice service providers are working closely to target support to all such service users to encourage and assist with those who are still yet to activate their cards. This includes ensuring subsistence support remains available through access to Emergency Cash Payments where appropriate and replacement cards are issued where delivery problems are reported to us.</p><p>It is not currently possible therefore to provide an accurate breakdown of the reasons some cards have not been activated or what proportion of this is due to a delivery issue.</p><p>Our latest available management information suggests the following approximations for the activation of cards:</p><ul><li>As of 28/05 – approximately 73% of service users has activated their card</li><li>As of 04/06 – this figure rose to approximately 83%</li><li>As of 22/06 –over 93% of service users had activated their new Aspen card<br></li></ul><p>It should be noted these figures have been taken from a live operational database and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.</p><p>We continue to work with strategic delivery partners to ensure all cards are successfully received and activated with the appropriate service users being targeted for assistance.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster grouped question UIN 19665 19667 question first answered 25/06/2021 12:21:40 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster previous answer version 9167 answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1337963

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what risk assessments were made ahead of her Department's change of contractor for the provision of Aspen cards.
	tabling member constituency	Newport East
	tabling member printed	Jessica Morden
	uin	17701
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2021 answer text <p>All Home Office projects, including the delivery of the new contract providing asylum support payments, have robust risk management mechanisms and practices in place. Engagement with our strategic delivery partners, accommodation providers and Migrant Help-including the consideration of risks-took place well in advance of the project rollout/go-live.</p><p>This will continue through an already-established service delivery management process which ensures ongoing risks are understood and appropriately managed across the many different provisions which support the asylum-seeking population.</p><p>The number of people eligible for asylum support; as well as the card activation rate; is a fluid and fluctuating figure. They change on a daily basis due to new service users entering the system, the provision of support and card activation numbers in particular increasing over time.</p><p>Fully functioning and tested Aspen cards have been distributed to all service users. The vast majority have activated it and have been using it successfully since the service went live on Monday 24<sup>th</sup> May 2021. Where replacement cards have been requested, they are being actioned swiftly and are being dispatched to service users accordingly.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster grouped question UIN 17702 question first answered 22/06/2021 15:06:48 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	1548 label Biography information for Jessica Morden

1337967

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have waited over four weeks for access to a working Aspen card from the date of their application in (a) the UK, (b) Wales and (c) Newport East in 2021.
	tabling member constituency	Newport East
	tabling member printed	Jessica Morden
	uin	17702
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2021 answer text <p>All Home Office projects, including the delivery of the new contract providing asylum support payments, have robust risk management mechanisms and practices in place. Engagement with our strategic delivery partners, accommodation providers and Migrant Help-including the consideration of risks-took place well in advance of the project rollout/go-live.</p><p>This will continue through an already-established service delivery management process which ensures ongoing risks are understood and appropriately managed across the many different provisions which support the asylum-seeking population.</p><p>The number of people eligible for asylum support; as well as the card activation rate; is a fluid and fluctuating figure. They change on a daily basis due to new service users entering the system, the provision of support and card activation numbers in particular increasing over time.</p><p>Fully functioning and tested Aspen cards have been distributed to all service users. The vast majority have activated it and have been using it successfully since the service went live on Monday 24<sup>th</sup> May 2021. Where replacement cards have been requested, they are being actioned swiftly and are being dispatched to service users accordingly.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster grouped question UIN 17701 question first answered 22/06/2021 15:06:48 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	1548 label Biography information for Jessica Morden

1337433

	registered interest
	date	16/06/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information she holds on the progress on the roll-out of the Aspen card; and what percentage of those planned to receive that card have received it to date.
	tabling member constituency	Rochdale
	tabling member printed	Tony Lloyd
	uin	16790
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/06/2021 answer text <p>If a service user is eligible for asylum support and a payment card but has not received their card, they have been advised this should be reported to Migrant Help as per the existing published process and guidance for service user concerns or issues.</p><p>Migrant Help will forward the concern onto the relevant operational team to investigate and action a replacement card, if needed, as well as issue an Emergency Cash Payment (ECP) to cover the period until the card arrives and is activated.</p><p>Service users can also contact their accommodation provider who have been instructed to reach out to service users known to not have activated their cards. Through these checks, accommodation providers are actively ensuring service users have both received their card and activated accordingly as well as self-authorise ECPs accordingly.</p><p>Finally, service users can also reach out to any third sector representatives/voluntary sector partners to escalate an issue on their behalf. Third sector colleagues have a direct escalation route to Home Office teams where they can direct issues (such as the need for replacement cards and issuing ECPs to service users) for Home Office colleagues to investigate and action.</p><p>The vast majority of service users have now received their new Aspen card, activated it and have been using it successfully since the service went live on Monday 24th May 2021.</p><p>Numbers are fluid as activation numbers continue to increase on a daily basis as well as having new eligible asylum seekers coming into the system over the same period of time.</p><p>We are proactively working with partners to ensure any eligible service users receive their new Aspen card and activate it successfully. In the interim, Emergency Cash Payments (ECPs) are being provided to support their critical needs.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster grouped question UIN 16791 question first answered 21/06/2021 17:09:44 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster previous answer version 8192 answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	450 label Biography information for Tony Lloyd

1337434

	registered interest
	date	16/06/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has published for people who have not yet received the Aspen card.
	tabling member constituency	Rochdale
	tabling member printed	Tony Lloyd
	uin	16791
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/06/2021 answer text <p>If a service user is eligible for asylum support and a payment card but has not received their card, they have been advised this should be reported to Migrant Help as per the existing published process and guidance for service user concerns or issues.</p><p>Migrant Help will forward the concern onto the relevant operational team to investigate and action a replacement card, if needed, as well as issue an Emergency Cash Payment (ECP) to cover the period until the card arrives and is activated.</p><p>Service users can also contact their accommodation provider who have been instructed to reach out to service users known to not have activated their cards. Through these checks, accommodation providers are actively ensuring service users have both received their card and activated accordingly as well as self-authorise ECPs accordingly.</p><p>Finally, service users can also reach out to any third sector representatives/voluntary sector partners to escalate an issue on their behalf. Third sector colleagues have a direct escalation route to Home Office teams where they can direct issues (such as the need for replacement cards and issuing ECPs to service users) for Home Office colleagues to investigate and action.</p><p>The vast majority of service users have now received their new Aspen card, activated it and have been using it successfully since the service went live on Monday 24th May 2021.</p><p>Numbers are fluid as activation numbers continue to increase on a daily basis as well as having new eligible asylum seekers coming into the system over the same period of time.</p><p>We are proactively working with partners to ensure any eligible service users receive their new Aspen card and activate it successfully. In the interim, Emergency Cash Payments (ECPs) are being provided to support their critical needs.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster grouped question UIN 16790 question first answered 21/06/2021 17:09:44 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster previous answer version 8191 answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	450 label Biography information for Tony Lloyd

1331211

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to ensure that any asylum seekers who have been adversely affected in the ongoing Aspen payment card transition will (a) have all back-payments due from 24 May 2021 automatically paid in full and (b) not suffer over-payment claw-backs of emergency payments given as a consequence of the payment card transition.
	tabling member constituency	Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East
	tabling member printed	Stuart C McDonald
	uin	13088
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2021 answer text <p>Weekly payments are continuously accruing on Aspen cards for eligible asylum seekers, even if they have not yet received or activated their new card. Once successfully activated, service users can access their accrued funds, therefore no back-payments will be required.</p><p>The vast majority of cards have been activated and payments were available for those without ASPEN access.</p><p>The position on emergency cash payments and reconciliation of balances will be reviewed in due course.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 14/06/2021 16:59:32 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4393 label Biography information for Stuart C McDonald

1331022

	registered interest
	date	08/06/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of delays in the issuing of the Aspen payment cards to asylum seekers.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Southwark
	uin	HL893
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2021 answer text <p>The PrePaid Financial Services (PFS) solution is a well-established Mastercard pre-paid card used by organisations across the UK as well as abroad and has undergone over 5 months of rigorous testing to integrate with Home Office systems.</p><p>Service users were notified of the transition in advance and a significant majority of service users have received their Aspen card and successfully activated. The service is functioning as expected for those who have activated their card. The cards are fully working, withdrawals and purchases are being made and the automated IVR activation line is operating well.</p><p>Transitions of this nature are complex, and plans to mitigate anticipated issues were, and remain, in place. Cash payments were made available in emergencies. We will continue to work with the remainder of service users to activate their cards and ensure they are supported throughout.</p><p><br> Our main focus is to ensure all remaining service users have an activated card so the new service can be accessed and support payments received.</p><p>As part of our management of service contracts continuous improvement assessments will be factored in throughout the contract term and implemented accordingly.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 22/06/2021 16:16:12 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	4345 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Southwark

1329931

	registered interest
	date	07/06/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	For what reason her Department continues to monitor asylum seekers' usage of Aspen Cards.
	tabling member constituency	Rutherglen and Hamilton West
	tabling member printed	Margaret Ferrier
	uin	901027
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/06/2021 answer text <p>Aspen cards are prepaid debit cards used to provide financial support to destitute asylum seekers. Their use is recorded and will be investigated where there are safeguarding concerns, for example to help locate a person who has gone missing, or potential breaches of the conditions of support to which the recipients have agreed, such as to prevent fraud.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 07/06/2021 16:05:22 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	4386 label Biography information for Margaret Ferrier

1329979

	registered interest
	date	07/06/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to compensate people who had no access to asylum support payments during the recent Aspen card transition; and what steps she is taking to ensure people do not temporarily lose access to asylum support payments in the future.
	tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Riverside
	tabling member printed	Kim Johnson
	uin	11698
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2021 answer text <p>A significant majority of service users have received their new Aspen card and they have successfully activated and started using the card.</p><p>Those who have experienced issues have been supported via the provision of emergency cash payments until their issue has been resolved. Due to this, there has always been some form of access to asylum support payments for the user population (even without an ASPEN card).</p><p>The provision of emergency cash payment has been in place for some time and will continue to be in place where emergency access to asylum support is required.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 15/06/2021 16:02:46 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4824 label Biography information for Kim Johnson