Asylum seekers and many other people who have moved here from another country have ‘no recourse to public funds’, or ‘NRPF’. This means they cannot access most welfare benefits, such as Universal Credit OR the support and services that are conditional on these benefits like the Scottish Welfare Fund. People with NRPF also can’t get any child benefits, like the Scottish Child Payment. However, in a positive development, recently the Best Start Foods payments were extended to parents with no recourse to public funds.

Asylum claimants who do not have anywhere to live and no money to support themselves are considered “destitute”. In these situations, the person is entitled to Asylum Support, which includes accommodation and basic living expenses.

It is important to note that asylum seekers have no choice over where they live or who they live with, and they can be moved many times during their asylum journey. Most asylum seekers are ‘dispersed’ by the Home Office to local authorities where accommodation is cheaper, like Glasgow and Birmingham. Glasgow used to be the only local authority in Scotland that accommodated asylum seekers, but recently dispersal was widened so all local authorities are obligated to take asylum seekers. In Glasgow, the Housing Provider is called Mears and they are responsible for heating & electricity and maintenance. Once there is a decision from the Home Office, either a positive or negative decision, asylum seekers are evicted from Mears accommodation, often at very short notice.

The Home Office provides eligible asylum seekers with basic living expenses, which is called Asylum Support. From January last year, Asylum Support amounts rose to £49.18 per person, per week. That’s only 51% of what someone on Universal Credit receives. It’s about £7 a day which, bearing in mind a First Bus ticket is currently £5.60, makes it impossible to meet basic needs. There are some restrictions and uplifts to Asylum Support to be aware of, for example some people can’t withdraw cash from their card, but there’s no need to remember these as they’re included in our flyer. Asylum Support has always been extremely low, and the increases are not increasing at the same rate as the cost of living. And remember that this is the only income asylum seekers can receive; they won’t be eligible for any ‘cost of living’ payments.