• Destitution in the UK
• Destitution Services provided by ALM
• References

Destitution in the UK

Most people living in Britain cannot believe that anyone here would be forced to live in absolute poverty, begging at churches for handouts and parcels of food, sleeping on the streets or worse being forced into prostitution to survive.

The Independent Asylum Commission estimated earlier this summer(2008) that 283,500 failed asylum seekers were living homeless in the UK(1). This is because just 21 days after receiving a negative asylum decision, most asylum seekers are evicted from their accommodation and their financial support is cut off (2). No access to public funds or ‘no support’ means absolutely no support. No money, no house, no permission to work. It means no entitlement to housing benefit so people cannot be housed in homelessness provision such as direct access hostels or even those run by the Salvation Army and no access to education or health care except in an emergency. In the 21st century in the fourth richest country on earth, people are being reduced to absolute destitution not by accident or personal tragedy but by deliberate act of policy (3).

This government policy of making asylum seekers destitute works on the assumption that by forcing people into extreme poverty they will choose to return to countries from which they have fled in fear of their lives. However we have seen through our work with destitute asylum seekers in Liverpool that this assumption is misguided as 98% of failed asylum seekers choose to stay in Britain surviving on handouts and sleeping on friend’s floors. Over the past 3 years we have come into contact with over 400 destitute asylum seekers out of which only 8 have chosen to return home voluntarily.

Asylum Link Merseyside has supported destitute asylum seekers in many forms since its foundation in 2001. However the homeless part of our project was formalised in February 2005 when we began to monitor people accessing the programme. Over the past 3 years we have seen more than 400 destitute clients, with 2 or 3 new referrals each week. We currently support over 40 destitute clients, housing 20 of those, and supporting others with cash grants and food parcels etc.  

Destitution services provided by ALM

Clothing: From donations given to ALM we run a store of clothes and shoes

Food: From individual donations and 2 local charities LCVS and SVP society, ALM gives out 85-90 food parcels per month

Toiletries: From individual donations, LCVS grant and lately Lever Bros., ALM gives out around 50 toiletries parcels per month

Cash Grants: Made available through the generosity of a local Churches group and the Tudor Trust, ALM is able to give out grants of £20 per week for up to 20 weeks

Housing: Hosting by volunteers or through houses financed by churches, ALM currently houses 20 clients.

Casewor: All of our destitute clients are supported by caseworkers, who offer services such as section 4 applications and representation to OISC 3.  Caseworkers aim to re-engage Asylum Seekers with the system that has failed them

Volunteering: Some destitute clients are able to join our team of volunteers, this means that as well as receiving and allowance to cover the costs of transport and lunch, that clients also have a meaningful way in which to pass the time and are also able to help others who are in the same situation. Volunteering is a valuable way to reduce the levels of mental health problems suffered by destitute clients.

References
1. www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/24/immigration.immigrationandpublicservices
2. www.refugee-action.org.uk/campaigns/destitution/documents/FAQs2.doc
3. www.church-poverty.org.uk/campaigns/livingghosts/asylum-destitution