Question to the Home Office:

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 in each week since the Aspen card transition.

Our systems do not allow us to provide the data requested. However, we can confirm 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 vast majority of service users who held a previous Sodexo Aspen card on 24^th May - the date the new service went live - have now activated their new PFS Aspen card.

Those who have issues or are unsure how they can activate their cards are able to contact the 24/7 Migrant Help helpline. Where service users do not have active cards, Emergency Cash Payments (ECP) are being requested (accommodation providers can facilitate these) to ensure service user’s critical needs are met.

Our latest available management information proposes the following approximations for the activation of cards amongst those who previously held a Sodexo card prior to 24 May:

• As of 28/05 – approximately 73% of service users has activated their card
• As of 04/06 – this figure rose to approximately 83%
• As of 22/06 –over 93% of service users had activated their new Aspen card
• As of 09/07 – over 95% had activated their card

[These figures have been taken from a live operational database and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard].

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.