Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the level of support provided to asylum seekers on levels of poverty among asylum seekers.

The Home Office has a legal obligation to meet the essential living needs of destitute asylum seekers. Support is usually provided in the form accommodation and a weekly allowance. Additional support is also available to pregnant women, young children, and individuals who have exceptional needs over and above those of the average supported asylum seeker or their dependants.

The level of the allowance is reviewed each year to ensure it covers an individual's “essential living needs”. Full details of the items that are considered essential are set out in reports on gov.uk. Following the 2023 review, allowances have increased for many supported individuals including pregnant women and young children.