§ Lord Stoddart of Swindonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 8 May (WA 175–76), what is the weekly cash value of the state benefits available to asylum seekers, as outlined in the Answer, to a family consisting of two adults and two children housed in furnished accommodation; and what would be the level of gross earnings necessary to achieve that value. [HL4288]
§ Lord RookerI am afraid that the information is not available in the form requested. However, a family of four (two adults and two children both under the age of 16) would receive a total subsistence payment of £126.26 per week. If they were in National Asylum Support Service (NASS) accommodation, the costs of this, together with associated utility bills and council tax, would be met centrally.
It is not possible to predict the level of gross earnings per week to achieve this level. This would be dependent on the individual circumstances of the family.