Asylum accommodation and support

Section 95 support is available for those who have made an asylum claim and do not yet have a decision on their case. 

For support purposes, a person seeking asylum is defined as a person over 18 years old who has made an asylum claim, or a claim under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), that is still under consideration by either the Home Office or the Immigration Tribunal.

However, there have been significant changes to the asylum system since June 2022, which means that some cases are considered ‘inadmissible’. A person in this position may not be eligible for section 95 support and may need to apply for the support available for unsuccessful asylum applicants under section 4 (details in below section). For further information about the recent changes and inadmissibility, please see our section on Asylum and refugees.

If eligible for section 95 support, you will be given:

• accommodation; or
• a payment card with £49.18 added each week for you to buy food, clothing and toiletries; or
• both, depending on what you require.

If you are destitute and yet to receive the outcome of a Section 95 support application, you may be eligible to receive temporary, emergency Section 98 support in the interim period. This is usually in the form of a full-board Home Office hostel or hotel. 

Home Office accommodation is provided on a no-choice basis, which means you can be housed anywhere in the UK.  

More information on Section 98 emergency support and on Section 95 support is available in this Asylum Support Appeals Project factsheet.

Section 4 support is available for those who have previously made unsuccessful asylum claims. To be eligible you will need to show one of the following:

• you are making arrangements to leave the UK
• there is another temporary barrier to leaving the UK
• there is no viable route of return
• you have been granted permission to apply for a judicial review in an asylum claim
• you require support to avoid a breach of your human rights, for example you have made further submissions that are outstanding.

You will also need to show that you are likely to become homeless and/or lose all financial resources within the next 14 days.

If granted section 4 support, you will be given:

• accommodation, and
• a payment card with £49.18 added each week for you to buy food, clothing and toiletries.

You will not be able to withdraw the money from a cashpoint (which would be possible if you were granted section 95 support).

To apply for section 95 or section 4 support, you will need to complete the form ASF1, which is available at gov.uk. If you require assistance in completing the form, you can contact Migrant Help on 0808 801 0503.

For further information on your rights and what to expect from your asylum support, please see the Home Office guide to living in asylum support accommodation.

More information on Section 98 emergency support is available in this Asylum Support Appeals Project factsheet.

If your application for asylum support is unsuccessful, you have the right to challenge the Home Office’s decision. To do this, you need to submit an appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Asylum Support).

You must submit your appeal to the tribunal within three days of receiving the letter about the decision. If you need help with your asylum appeal you can contact the Asylum Support Appeal Project.

If you have a complaint, or need help with your asylum support, you should contact Migrant Help on 0808 801 0503 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm).

Migrant Help deals with the following:

• maintenance issues with your asylum accommodation, such as a broken cooker or a leaky tap; Migrant Help will speak to the accommodation provider to get these issues resolved for you
• requests for assistance because you feel there is a risk to you or your family’s health and wellbeing; this may be, for example, domestic violence, sexual harassment, or antisocial behaviour
• asylum payment issues – for example, you have lost your card, or it has been stolen; or you have not received your payment
• complaints you wish to make regarding any services provided.

You can also contact the Home Office directly to make a complaint about your asylum support. You can email them at [email protected], or write to them at the following address:

Complaints Allocation Hub Customer Correspondence Hub

7th Floor
Lunar House
40 Wellesley Road
Croydon
CR9 2BY