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Asylum Support UK: Accommodation & Financial Help

If you are claiming asylum in the UK and have no other means of support, the Home Office provides accommodation and a weekly financial allowance. This guide explains what support is available, how to apply, and what happens when your claim is decided.

Checked 17 March 20269 min readWritten by the Rowan Editorial Team
Section
Asylum & Refugee
Reading time
9 min
Last checked
17 March 2026
Source
The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
Rowan does not
Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.

In short

  • Accommodation and a weekly allowance are provided to destitute asylum seekers.
  • The weekly allowance is £49.18 for each person in the household, or £9.95 if meals are provided.
  • Accommodation is provided on a no-choice basis.
  • Home Office guidance gives 42 days of support after a grant of leave, and 21 days after a refusal decision is served.

Asylum seekers who are destitute can receive accommodation and a weekly allowance from the Home Office. Support continues while your claim is being processed and during any appeal. This guide covers the types of support, how to apply, and what changes when your claim is decided.

Types of Asylum Support

The GOV.UK asylum support page sets out the main types of support available, and the what you’ll get page carries the current rates:

Section 95 Support (Main Support)

This is the main form of asylum support, available while your asylum claim is being processed. It includes:

  • Accommodation. Usually in shared housing, hostels, or hotels. The Home Office decides where you live.
  • Financial support. GOV.UK says “you’ll usually get £49.18 for each person in your household”, loaded onto an ASPEN card each week. If your accommodation provides meals, the rate is £9.95 for each person instead.
  • Utility bills. Covered as part of the accommodation.

You can apply for accommodation only, financial support only, or both.

Section 4 Support (After Refusal)

If your claim is refused, GOV.UK says you can apply for short-term support if you are homeless, do not have money to buy food, and there is a reason why you cannot leave the UK yet. All three conditions have to be met. It provides:

  • Somewhere to live
  • Help with prescriptions, dental care, eyesight tests and glasses
  • A payment card for food and toiletries

GOV.UK adds two limits: “you will not be given any cash”, and you will not be given the payment card if you do not take the offer of somewhere to live.

Initial Accommodation

When you first claim asylum, you may be placed in initial accommodation (often a hotel or hostel) while your support application is processed. This is temporary, usually for a few weeks.

How to Apply for Asylum Support

  1. Complete form ASF1. GOV.UK says to “apply using form ASF1 to claim housing and cash support”. The form and the address to send it to are on the GOV.UK how to claim page. Migrant Help runs the asylum helpline on 0808 801 0503, Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, with a 24-hour emergency service.
  2. Provide evidence of destitution. Show that you do not have adequate accommodation or enough money to meet your essential living needs.
  3. Submit the form. Your solicitor or a support organisation can help you submit the form.
  4. Wait for a decision. GOV.UK does not publish a processing time for asylum support applications, so this guide does not give one.

Accommodation

Asylum accommodation is provided on a no-choice basis. Key points:

  • You cannot choose the area or type of accommodation
  • You may be moved between areas (called "dispersal")
  • Accommodation is usually shared with other asylum seekers
  • You must live at the address provided — if you move without permission, your support may be stopped
  • You can request to be near family members, medical facilities, or your solicitor, but this is not guaranteed

The ASPEN Card

Your weekly allowance is loaded onto an ASPEN card. This works like a pre-paid debit card. You can use it in shops and at cash machines. The money is for:

  • Food and drink
  • Clothing and shoes
  • Toiletries and hygiene products
  • Other essential items

Additional Support

You may be eligible for additional support:

  • Extra weekly payments. GOV.UK publishes £5.25 a week if you are a pregnant mother, £9.50 a week for a baby under 1, and £5.25 a week for a child aged 1 to 3. These are on top of the main allowance.
  • Maternity payment. GOV.UK says you can apply for a one-off £300 maternity payment if your baby is due in 11 weeks or less, or if your baby is under 6 months old.
  • Healthcare. Free NHS healthcare without paying the Immigration Health Surcharge.
  • Education. Free schooling for your children.
  • Free school meals. In England, GOV.UK lists “support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999” — asylum support — as a qualifying benefit for free school meals. See our free school meals guide.

When Support Ends

What happens to your support depends on the outcome of your claim:

  • Granted leave. The Home Office instruction on ceasing section 95 support, published on 9 March 2026, says that “an individual can continue to receive support for 42 days following the positive decision on their asylum claim”. This is the “move-on” period, and it is when a person moves to their own accommodation and to mainstream benefits. It was 28 days before this change, so older material still says 28.
  • Claim refused. The same instruction says a person “continues to be an asylum seeker for the purpose of asylum support for 21 days” after a refusal decision is served. Support for a household with a dependent child under 18 is not ceased at the end of that period while the child is under 18 and the other conditions are met. Short-term support after refusal is described above.

Problems with Asylum Support

If you have problems with your asylum support (for example, the accommodation is unsafe, your ASPEN card is not working, or your support has been wrongly stopped):

  • Contact your accommodation provider's maintenance line
  • Contact the Migrant Help asylum helpline on 0808 801 0503, Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, with a 24-hour emergency service
  • Speak to your solicitor
  • Contact your local MP
  • GOV.UK says you can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Asylum Support) if you applied for asylum support and were turned down, or you were claiming asylum support and it has been stopped

Next Steps

The current rates, the eligibility conditions and the ASF1 form are all on GOV.UK. For official information, visit the GOV.UK asylum support page.

Related guides:

Questions and answers

What financial support do asylum seekers get in the UK?

GOV.UK says: 'You'll usually get £49.18 for each person in your household.' It is loaded onto a payment card (an ASPEN card) each week and can be used to get cash from a cash machine. If your accommodation provides meals, the rate is £9.95 for each person instead. Accommodation and utilities are provided separately.

Can asylum seekers choose where they live?

No. The Home Office provides accommodation on a no-choice basis. You will be housed in an area of the UK that has available accommodation. You can request a specific area but this is not guaranteed.

What happens to support if my claim is refused?

Home Office guidance says a person continues to be an asylum seeker for support purposes for 21 days after a refusal decision is served. Support for a household with a dependent child under 18 is not ceased at the end of that period while the child is under 18 and the other conditions are met. GOV.UK says short-term support after a refusal is available to someone who is homeless, has no money to buy food, and where there is a reason they cannot leave the UK yet.

Can asylum seekers access benefits like Universal Credit?

No. Asylum seekers cannot access mainstream benefits such as Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, or Child Benefit. They receive asylum support instead. If granted refugee status, they can then access the full benefits system.

This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.

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