The Home Office can provide housing and financial support to a person who becomes appeal rights exhausted (ARE) when their asylum claim is unsuccessful if they do not have accommodation and/or cannot afford to meet their essential living needs. This support is provided under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
As well as demonstrating that they are destitute, the person must show that they meet one of the following requirements.
Section 4 support is usually provided to adults without children who become ARE following an unsuccessful asylum claim when they meet one of the additional requirements. They will no longer qualify for section 95 support if there is no child in their household at the point that their asylum claim is finally determined. Section 4 support can be accessed immediately after section 95 support ends or at a later date.
Some ARE families may only qualify for section 4 support rather than section 95 support. For example, they will only qualify for section 4 support if any children in the household were born after the parent's asylum claim was finally determined.
A person who has accommodation cannot apply for financial support (subsistence) only.
For detailed information about section 4 support please see the Home Office policy and process guidance.
Financial support is provided on a payment card which can be used to make purchases of food, clothing and toiletries.
The weekly amount provided is £49.18 for each person in the household.
Additional weekly payments are made for pregnant mothers (£5.25), babies under 1 (£9.50) and children aged 1 to 3 (£5.25).
A person who is being provided with full-board hotel accommodation will receive a weekly allowance of £8.86 in addition to receiving food and toiletries.
The status of a person whose asylum or immigration claim has been refused when they have come to the end of the appeal process without success or have no further right of appeal.
A person who has made a claim to the UK government for protection (asylum) under the United Nations Refugee Convention 1951 and is waiting for a decision from the Home Office or final decision from the appeal courts (following a refusal).
