Report: Moving from the asylum support system

A report examined the difficulties experienced by new refugees to the United Kingdom when accessing mainstream benefits and the labour market.

It said that, once refugee status was granted, moving from the system of asylum support to mainstream benefits and employment usually took much longer than the 28-day ‘grace period’ given by the government and that, in the meantime, many new refugees became destitute.

The report made a range of recommendations, including:

• for the grace period to be extended to 40 days, starting from receipt of various initial application forms (which should be distributed at the same time);
• for continuing asylum support regardless of time period to be piloted;
• for better information on available help, better dissemination of policy on refugees, and better jobcentre staff training on the issue of refugee transition.