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You may be able to get housing and money to support you and your family while you鈥檙e waiting to find out if you鈥檒l be given asylum.

This also means your children will go to a free state school and you may get free healthcare from the National Health Service (NHS).

You can still apply for short-term support if you鈥檝e been refused asylum and are preparing to leave the UK.

Call an asylum helpline for free help with asylum support or short-term support.

You can ask for somewhere to live, a cash allowance or both as an asylum seeker.

Housing

You鈥檒l be given somewhere to live if you need it. This could be in a flat, house, hostel or bed and breakfast.

You cannot choose where you live. It鈥檚 unlikely you鈥檒l get to live in London or south-east England.

Cash support

You鈥檒l usually get 拢49.18 for each person in your household. This will help you pay for things you need like food, clothing and toiletries.

Your allowance will be loaded onto a debit card (ASPEN card) each week. You鈥檒l be able to use the card to get cash from a cash machine.

If your accommodation provides your meals

You鈥檒l get 拢8.86 for each person in your household instead.

If you鈥檝e been refused asylum but you鈥檙e still eligible for support

You鈥檒l be given:

• somewhere to live
• 拢49.18 per person on a payment card for food, clothing and toiletries (or 拢8.86 per person if your accommodation provides your meals)

You will not be given:

• the payment card if you do not take the offer of somewhere to live
• any money

Extra money for mothers and young children

You鈥檒l get extra money to buy healthy food if you鈥檙e pregnant or a mother of a child aged 3 or under. The amount you get will depend on your situation.

Your situation	Extra payment per week
Pregnant mother	拢5.25
Baby under 1 year old	拢9.50
Child aged 1 to 3	拢5.25

Maternity payment

You can apply for a one-off 拢300 maternity payment if your baby is due in 11 weeks or less, or if your baby is under 6 months old.

Applying for the maternity grant

You apply for the maternity grant in the same way whether you鈥檙e still an asylum seeker or you鈥檝e been refused asylum.

You鈥檒l need to request form MAT B1 from your doctor to apply for the payment. You can apply for the maternity payment at the same time you apply for asylum support.

If you get pregnant after you鈥檝e applied for asylum support, you can apply to Migrant Help.

Healthcare

You may get free National Health Service (NHS) healthcare, such as to see a doctor or get hospital treatment.

You鈥檒l also get:

• free prescriptions for medicine
• free dental care for your teeth
• free eyesight tests
• help paying for glasses

Education

Your children must attend school if they are aged 5 to 17. All state schools are free and your children may be able to get free school meals.

You can apply for asylum support if you鈥檙e homeless or do not have money to buy food.

If you鈥檝e been refused asylum

You can ask for the following if you鈥檙e homeless, do not have any money to buy food and you can show that there鈥檚 a reason why you cannot leave the UK yet:

• short-term housing
• help with prescriptions for medicine, dental care for your teeth, eyesight tests and glasses
• a payment card for food and toiletries

You will not be given the payment card without the housing and you will not be given any cash.

Housing and cash support for asylum seekers

Apply using form ASF1 to claim housing and cash support.

Send the form to the asylum support casework team.

You might be able to apply for additional support if the general allowance will not cover your needs. You鈥檒l have to show that you cannot meet your needs in any other way.

Read the guidance on additional support.

Fill in form ASF2 and contact the Asylum Support Application Service. The details are on the form.

If you鈥檙e refused asylum

You must return to your country as soon as possible if you鈥檙e refused asylum.

You can apply for short-term support using form ASF1.

You鈥檒l need to complete a 鈥榮ection 4(2)鈥� medical declaration if you have a specific medical issue.

You can also apply for additional help (section 4(2) support), for example:

• medical appointments
• getting your new baby鈥檚 birth certificate
• maternity payments

Read the guidance on section 4(2) support.

Send all forms to the asylum support casework team by email or post.

Education for children

Contact your local council if you have children and want to:

• apply for a primary school place
• apply for a secondary school place

Healthcare

Contact the free National Health Service (NHS) 111 service for help and advice with health problems when it鈥檚 not an emergency.

Phone NHS Help With Health Costs for help with prescriptions for medicine, dental care, eyesight tests and buying glasses.

Help and advice

Call one of the asylum helplines to get free advice about the asylum process or adapting to life in the UK.

Appeal

You can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Asylum Support) if:

• you鈥檝e applied for asylum support and been turned down
• you were claiming asylum support and it鈥檚 been stopped

Contact asylum support

You can contact Migrant Help if your application for support has been refused or you have questions about your appeal against the decision.