HL Deb 21 March 1997 vol 579 c128WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have examined the consequences of their refusal of social security to asylum-seekers whose applications have not yet been determined; and in particular;

  1. (a) what they propose to do about inequalities of treatment by local authorities of essentially similar cases; and
  2. (b) how they intend to prevent destitution, mental illness and suicide attempts among people whose status is only slowly determined, some of whom may have already suffered torture and abuse.

Baroness Cumberlege

The Government's asylum policy aims to deter those entering this country for economic reasons. Those who come here genuinely to seek asylum and make that known on entry to the country have access to income support, income based jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit where they have no other means of support while their asylum claim is under consideration. Individuals suffering mental health or other health problems have access to NHS and social care services while their application for asylum is being considered. As with all cases, it is for local decision what kinds of service are provided to meet an assessed need.