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1663963

	registered interest
	date	13/10/2023
	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, with reference to her Department's news story of 12 September 2023 entitled New Illegal Migration Act measures and age dispute assessment tests, whether the consultations with local authorities and organisations within the sector to look at the UK’s capacity to accommodate and support those arriving through safe and legal routes will seek views on proposed additional safe routes..
	tabling member constituency	Westmorland and Lonsdale
	tabling member printed	Tim Farron
	uin	201816
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2023 answer text <p>With the passing of the Illegal Migration Act, on 20 July 2023, the government has committed to introducing a cap on the number of people brought to the UK through safe and legal routes each year.</p><p>The cap will be determined through consultation with local authorities to understand the UK’s capacity to accommodate and support individuals arriving through safe and legal routes.</p><p>The consultation seeks to determine a realistic picture of the capacity that the UK has, to enable the operation of safe and legal routes for protection and ensure these routes form part of a well-managed and sustainable migration system.</p><p>As the Prime Minister has stated, as we get a grip on illegal migration, we will be able to bring forward more safe and legal routes.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 23/10/2023 13:50:44 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	1591 label Biography information for Tim Farron

1463349

	registered interest
	date	16/05/2022
	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 long asylum seekers who have been granted section 95 status currently have to wait to receive an Aspen card.
	tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
	tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
	uin	2592
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2022 answer text <p>When an asylum seeker in full-board initial accommodation (where there is Migrant Help physical presence) has been granted section 95 states an Aspen card will be issued within 4-6 working days. Where individuals are in other accommodation locations they will be sent Aspen cards by Royal Mail post, once issued.</p><p>We have undertaken improvement work to reduce the waiting time by introducing twice weekly reporting and ensuring prompt data sharing with Migrant Help.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster grouped question UIN 2593 question first answered 19/05/2022 15:06:35 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1463350

	registered interest
	date	16/05/2022
	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 reduce the waiting time between asylum seekers being granted section 95 status and receiving an Aspen card.
	tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
	tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
	uin	2593
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2022 answer text <p>When an asylum seeker in full-board initial accommodation (where there is Migrant Help physical presence) has been granted section 95 states an Aspen card will be issued within 4-6 working days. Where individuals are in other accommodation locations they will be sent Aspen cards by Royal Mail post, once issued.</p><p>We have undertaken improvement work to reduce the waiting time by introducing twice weekly reporting and ensuring prompt data sharing with Migrant Help.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster grouped question UIN 2592 question first answered 19/05/2022 15:06:35 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

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

1186598

	registered interest
	date	19/03/2020
	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, whether additional support will be provided to asylum seekers using ASPEN cards to ensure they have access to sufficient food and supplies during the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
	tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
	uin	32242
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/03/2020 answer text <p>We take the welfare of our service users very seriously and we are considering a range of options to ensure that ensure service users have sufficient support during the COVID 10 outbreak, ensuring that we are adhering to Public Health England guidance.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 27/03/2020 13:20:59 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1199431

	registered interest
	date	02/06/2020
	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	Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 27 May (HL4183), whether the outcomes of the review of asylum support will be published by the end of June.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
	uin	HL5030
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2020 answer text <p>We review the level of financial support provided to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute annually, using a methodology that has been in place since 2014 and which the courts have agreed is rational and lawful. The methodology takes account of the costs of food, clothes, toiletries and other items.</p><p> </p><p>The standard weekly allowance has been raised to £39.60 from £37.75, an increase of around 5%, because the methodology showed this is now the amount the average asylum seeker needs to meet their essential living needs. This increase is considerably higher than current year to year rise in general inflation, which was reported to be 0.8% in April.</p><p> </p><p>This allowance is only one part of the package of support provided. We also provide free accommodation, utilities are paid for, council tax is paid for, and there is free access to the NHS and free education for their children.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 16/06/2020 11:21:02 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1202665

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2020
	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	Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 12 May (HL4183), what proportion of the increase of 26p a day in asylum support is attributable to the additional costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, such as those arising from increased hygiene needs.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
	uin	HL5527
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2020 answer text <p>We review the level of financial support provided to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute annually, using a methodology that has been in place since 2014 and which the courts have agreed is rational and lawful. The methodology takes account of the costs of food, clothes, toiletries and other items.</p><p> </p><p>The standard weekly allowance has been raised to £39.60 from £37.75, an increase of around 5%, because the methodology showed this is now the amount the average asylum seeker needs to meet their essential living needs. This increase is considerably higher than current year to year rise in general inflation, which was reported to be 0.8% in April.</p><p> </p><p>This allowance is only one part of the package of support provided. We also provide free accommodation, utilities are paid for, council tax is paid for, and there is free access to the NHS and free education for their children.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 25/06/2020 08:02:51 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1330130

	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, how many calls the Migrant Help service received about Aspen cards on each day from 21 May and 4 June 2021.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	11554
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2021 answer text <p>We have been working with Migrant Help to reduce call volumes and monitor waiting times, which included increases of resources prior to and after the card service change.</p><p>Whilst we saw a significant increase in call volumes over the period 21<sup>st</sup> May until 4<sup>th</sup> June we are not able to categorise the nature of the calls at this point.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 10/06/2021 16:29:57 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1198604

	registered interest
	date	01/06/2020
	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 adequacy of financial support available for people in the asylum system during the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough
	tabling member printed	Gill Furniss
	uin	52313
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2020 answer text <p>We have been reviewing the level of the cash allowances provided to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute, as we do each year to ensure that they remain capable of meeting their essential living needs.</p><p> </p><p>As a result of this work, the standard allowance has been raised to £39.60 per week from £37.75 per week, an increase of around 5%.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 10/06/2020 13:17:35 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	4571 label Biography information for Gill Furniss

1205605

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2020
	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 take steps to ensure that (a) Asylum Support rates receive a £20 covid-related uplift in line with universal credit and (b) backdate that uplift to March 2020; and if she will make it her policy to reinstate asylum support to at least 70 per cent of mainstream income support.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	61747
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2020 answer text <p>We have been reviewing the level of the cash allowances provided to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute, as we do each year to ensure that they remain capable of meeting their essential living needs.</p><p> </p><p>As a result of this work, the standard allowance has been raised to £39.60 per week from £37.75 per week, an increase of around 5%. This increase is significantly higher than the current general rate of inflation, which Office of National Statistics data shows was only 0.5% in the 12 months period to May.</p><p> </p><p>The level of the allowance is not linked to social security benefits.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to the allowance, we also provide free accommodation, with utilities and council tax paid for and there is free access to the NHS and free access to education for their children.</p><p> </p><p>The UK has a generous record in supporting asylum seekers. Last year, we made around 20,000 grants of asylum or protection (one of the higher figures in Europe), as well as offered protection to 3,000 Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children – the highest number of any country in Europe. In addition, we have directly resettled around 20,000 people from the most dangerous areas of the world (especially Syrians) in the UK over the last 5 years. Finally, we spend around £14 billion per year in Overseas Aid, helping millions of people around the world. This is the highest amount of any country in Europe and we are the only G7 country to meet the 0.7% of GNI Overseas Aid target</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 25/06/2020 07:49:34 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts