Home Office asylum support

Overview

The Home Office can provide accommodation and financial support to people who would otherwise be destitute while their asylum claim is being considered. The Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 sets out the framework for asylum support in the UK.

The main types of asylum support are:

• section 95 support – accommodation and financial support for people awaiting a decision on their asylum claim
• section 98 support – emergency accommodation provided while the Home Office decides whether a person qualifies for section 95 support
• section 96 support – additional support that may be available in exceptional circumstances to people receiving asylum support
• section 4 support – accommodation and financial support for some people whose asylum claim has been refused and who have become appeal rights exhausted (ARE)

Asylum support may also be available to people who have made an Article 3 human rights claim.

If a person's asylum claim is declared inadmissible, they will not be eligible for section 95 support but may qualify for section 4 support.

Although the Home Office is responsible for providing accommodation and financial support to people seeking asylum and people who are appeal rights exhausted, in some circumstances, support may instead be provided by local authority social care services. See our information on:

• social care support for families
• social care support for adults

The pages in this section explain the different types of asylum support, who qualifies, how to apply, and what happens when support is refused or discontinued.

Page updated: 13 July 2026