Section 95 cash support amounts to £213.11 (€ 248.25) per calendar month per person. There are no different rates, depending on the claimants’ ages and household compositions.
The amounts of Section 95 support are set by regulations, while Section 4 rates are a matter of policy, but they are the same amount.[1] Small additional payments are available for pregnant women (£5.25 or € 6.12 per week) if they claim this. They may also claim a maternity allowance of £300 (€ 349). Home Office guidance makes it explicit that pregnant women can be provided with the cost of a taxi journey when they are or may be in labour.[2] Parents may claim an additional £9.50 (€ 11.07) on the card per week for children under 12 months, £5.25 (€ 6.12) per week for children from 1 up to and including 3 years, and a clothing allowance for children under 16. In practice, families who have dependent children before they have exhausted all appeal rights normally stay on cash support (Section 95) after their claim has been refused for as long as they remain in the UK or until the youngest child turns 18, although this can be removed if they do not abide by conditions. [3]
The amount of support is not adequate to meet basic living needs. Asylum support is now 58% of the rate of welfare benefit for a UK national aged 25 or over.[4] Children of families on asylum support receive free school meals.[5]
Further problems come from faults in the operation of the system, particularly when changes occur, such as moving from Section 95 to Section 4, or getting refugee status (see Housing for more information on those granted protection).
[1] The Asylum Support (Amendment) Regulations 2023, available at: https://bit.ly/4bJbeSx.
[2] Home Office, Asylum Process Guidance – additional services or facilities under the 2007 Regulations.
[3] Home Office guidance, ‘Ceasing Section 95 Support instruction’ July 2023, page 13, available at: https://bit.ly/4bNQFEz.
[4] UK government, ‘Universal Credit’, accessed 24 March 2024, available at: https://bit.ly/3ItLWux.
[5] For more information, see: https://bit.ly/48q0beb.