Hotels, support and cost
How much do asylum seekers get a week?
£49.18a week per person, standard asylum support
Most asylum seekers on Home Office support get £49.18 a week per person, about £7.03 a day, paid onto a prepaid card, and live in housing the Home Office provides. People in full-board hotels, where meals are provided, get £9.95 a week. There are small extra payments for pregnancy and young children.
What the figure counts
The allowance is for essential living needs such as food, clothing and toiletries. Accommodation, with utilities, is provided separately and is not paid in cash. Only people who would otherwise be destitute qualify.
The standard rate is set in regulations and has been £49.18 since 15 January 2024. The full-board rate is Home Office policy and rose from £8.86 to £9.95 on 2 June 2025. Figures quoted at £8.86 or £40.85 are out of date.
Key figures
| Standard weekly allowance, per person | £49.18since 15 January 2024 (SI 2023/1372) |
|---|---|
| Full-board accommodation, per person | £9.95since 2 June 2025, up from £8.86 |
| Extra weekly payment, pregnant | £5.25since 15 January 2024 |
| Extra weekly payment, baby under 1 | £9.50since 15 January 2024 |
| Extra weekly payment, child aged 1 to 3 | £5.25since 15 January 2024 |
| One-off maternity payment | £300since 15 January 2024 |
Has the asylum allowance gone up?
Not since January 2024. The Home Office's 2024 review, published in November 2025, left the standard rate at £49.18 and raised the full-board rate from £8.86 to £9.95. The rate before January 2024 was £40.85.
Will asylum seekers have to pay back their support?
The Immigration and Asylum Bill 2026 would let the Home Office charge adults who have the means a flat rate expected to be around £10,000, paid monthly above a threshold, before they can settle. It would apply only to people who claim after it comes into force.
How does the allowance compare with the cost of housing?
The weekly allowance is a small part of the cost. In April 2026 the Home Office put a hotel at £199 a night per person, and dispersal housing at £25 a night.