Asylum: Social Security Benefits
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Restoring Order and Control: A statement on the government’s asylum and returns policy, updated on 20 November 2025, what criteria his Department will set for refugees to be able to access benefits.
Answered by Andrew Western
The Home Secretary announced, in the Home Office’s Asylum and Returns Policy Statement on 17 November 2026, that DWP will consult on the rules for taxpayer-funded benefits to prioritise access for long-term residents and those who are making an economic contribution to the UK. The consultation will look at how the benefit rules apply to everyone arriving or returning to the UK, and any changes to entitlement rules will be set out during the consultation. The consultation will take place in 2026.
Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →