The asylum support payment service has been disrupted as it is transferred to a new provider. 

The switch began at 5pm on Friday and will be completed by 9am tomorrow. 

During this period of transition the means for many asylum seekers to buy food for themselves and their families has been unavailable.

Minister for Future Borders and Immigration, Kevin Foster MP wrote to MPs on May 19 to inform them that this change would be taking place on Friday saying that, "as part of the process of switching from the outgoing to the new provider, there will be a short unavoidable period of service disruption to ensure user data and card balances are moved in time for the new services to begin. 

"This means service users will not be able to use their cards temporarily during this period. as a service suspendsion is required for a successful transfer."

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He added: "I know this will be of concern for those service users in your constituency. We have therefore been proactively communicating with service users directly, indirectly via our strategic delivery partners and via stakeholder representatives to alert them of the forthcoming period of disruption.

"We are also working with the voluntary sector to minimise disruption to the people we support during the period of service disruption."

Anne McLaughlin, SNP spokesperson for Justice and Immigration in response to this letter said: "The effective withdrawal of Asylum Support Payments, however short, should be forewarned and planned for.

"While a better service is for Asylum Support Payments is both welcome and long overdue, the extremely short notice of this necessary disruption could leave people in serious difficulties over that 3-day period. 

"Many of these people will have language barriers and the communication from the Home Office is poor at the best of times so to have given MP's less than 48 hours' notice that there may be hundreds of their constituents unable to buy food over the weekend is extremely unhelpful." 

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A Home Office spokesman said: "We have a legal responsibility to provide financial support to asylum seekers who would otherwise by destitute. 

"A new service to provide asylum seekers with financial support is going live on Monday.

"All service users were advised in advance about this new service and an emergency cash payment process is in place this weekend to support any critical needs.

"Additional support from accomodation providers and Migrant Help is also is in place to provide further assistance."

Service users will have acess to their new weekly payment and trasnferred balances from 9am tomorrow.