Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to (1) maintain the extension of housing provision for newly recognised refugees to three months, introduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as a permanent measure, and (2) ensure financial support for such refugees whilst they wait for receipt of Universal Credit payments.

As part of the Government’s response to the pandemic, newly recognised refugees are not currently being asked to leave asylum accommodation. We will be reviewing the policy before the end of June, but there are no plans to make the arrangement permanent. When normal arrangements resume, the refugees will receive notice that they are no longer eligible to receive asylum support after a 28 days “grace period” and assisted to transition to mainstream benefits and housing services if they wish to apply for them.