Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department offers (a) bonuses and (b) financial incentives to asylum caseworkers for meeting targets and clearing backlogs.

Asylum decisions are subject to stringent quality checks to ensure that claims are properly considered, decisions are sound, and protection is granted to those who genuinely need it.

Performance targets are agreed with managers and reviewed regularly, supported by robust performance management processes. Rewards are linked to the consistent delivery of outputs, high quality work and professional behaviour that reflect the values of the Civil Service. This framework ensures that any recognition of staff goes hand in hand with maintaining the high standards expected in asylum decision-making.

To address delays and reduce costs to the taxpayer, we introduced a short-term scheme to recognise colleagues who produced additional output while continuing to meet their existing targets, and in line with our quality assurance framework. It was tightly controlled, subject to regular review, and monitored closely to ensure correct and consistent implementation.