ASYLUM-SEEKERS are being deliberately driven into deeper poverty by the Home Office, unable to afford essential goods such as baby formula milk, food and period products, a new report states.

Research by charity Refugee Action has revealed that the financial situation of asylum-seekers in Britain deteriorated from “miserable” in 2008 to “impossible” in 2022 because of ministers “making a deliberate political decision to punish people seeking asylum” and to “deter refugees.”

It said a combination of “flatlining” benefits, soaring prices and government refusal to allow asylum-seekers to work had reduced the real value of their income by 19 per cent since 2008 – and that since then double-digit inflation and soaring prices had made their situation worse.

The asylum benefit increased to £45.08 a week from £40.85 after the High Court in December instructed Home Secretary Suella Braverman to increase it by 60p a day.

The case was brought by Greater Manchester Law Centre after the Home Office broke the link between asylum benefit increases and CPI inflation — a decision that Mr Justice Fordham ruled was “irrational and unlawful.”

But Refugee Action warned that even with the increase asylum-seekers were suffering appalling poverty because the real value of the benefit has fallen as prices soared.

The charity said: “Through our work with refugees we’re witnessing terrible stories of the impact rising prices are having on asylum-seeking families.

“The decline in the value of asylum support is putting baby formula milk, basic food and sanitary products out of reach, or forcing people into near impossible decisions about what to prioritise.

“The government knows that not raising asylum support in response to price rises pushes people seeking asylum further into poverty.

“Ministers are making a deliberate political decision to punish people seeking asylum.”

The Home Office is to carry out a review of benefits paid to asylum-seekers.

Refugee Action said: “We’ll be doing everything we can to influence this review in the direction of compassion, dignity for people seeking asylum and a clear principle: nobody should be punished for asking the UK for help.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The welfare of those in our care remains of the utmost importance and we continue to make sure that those seeking asylum who would otherwise be destitute are provided with accommodation and a weekly allowance for food, clothing, transport and sundries.
 
“In December 2022, we increased the general rate of asylum support from £40.85 to £45 per person per week on an interim basis. For asylum seekers in receipt of accommodation and meals, we also increased weekly payments from £8.24 to £9.10 to cover essential living items.”