Glasgow asylum seekers left without funds due to 'Home Office error'

It is understood the government body changed its Aspen Card contract to a new supplier - causing families and individuals to suddenly be unable to access money.

Positive Action in Housing said it has been deluged by people who, overnight, were left without any funds.

Charity bosses have now given out more than £11,000 in crisis payments and are providing families with food parcels to tide them over.

On Monday, 51 households got in touch in the space of an hour to seek help and, since then, hundreds more have sought support.

An appeal for support has now been launched.

Robina Qureshi, executive director of Positive Action in Housing, said: “This potentially affects thousands of the most vulnerable people in society who, unlike you or I, have no savings or reserves to rely on.

“They have been left with nothing and this is not just individuals, it is families too with children, the elderly, those with mental and physical health problems.

“They just never stopped to consider the impact that their mistakes would have on vulnerable people who don’t have the resources to resolve these, nor alternatives when they have no money for food.

“There is a tsunami of suffering coming to these families because of this shambolic change.”

A spokesman for the Home Office said people in the asylum system had been told they "must activate their new cards prior to the service going live and the vast majority of individuals have done so".

An Aspen card functions as a debit card for those in the asylum system - money is loaded on to the card and can be withdrawn at an ATM.

Asylum seekers outside the Tartan Lodge hotel in Glasgow Picture: Lucinda Cameron/PA Wire

This week the Home Office contract changed from supplier Sodexo to a new contract with Prepaid Financial Services.

In Glasgow and, it is understood, cities around the UK, people in the asylum system started to report issues with their cards.

Some cards simply no longer worked; some people had not been sent a new card; some had money left on their cards to roll over from the previous week yet the cash was no longer there; and others reported issues signing up to the system as the year of birth 2000 was not recognised.

By yesterday afternoon Positive Action in Housing had been contacted by nearly 400 individuals and families seeking support.

Demonstrators join a 'Refugees Lives Matter' protest on July 1, 2020 in Glasgow Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

With a number of asylum seekers having little or no English and not knowing where to turn for support, the actual number of those left without access to funds is expected to be much higher.

Meanwhile, Positive Action in Housing said that those who remained housed in hotels due to a housing strategy introduced at the start of the pandemic are still not receiving funds.

A High Court ruling last year mandated that those housed in hotels should be paid £8 per week backdated to when they were moved to hotel accommodation.

However, Robina said, this is still not happening - leaving the community in dire need of support.

To donate see www.justgiving.com/campaign/positiveactionh?success=true or post a cheque to: Destitution Appeal, Positive Action in Housing, 98 West George St Glasgow G2 1PJ.

Or see www.positiveactionh.org/donate/

A Home Office spokesman said: “A new service to provide asylum seekers with financial support went live on Monday and we are assisting everyone affected to ensure they get access to their payments swiftly.

“We provided clear advice to asylum seekers that they must activate their new cards prior to the service going live and the vast majority of individuals have done so.

“Those who have issues or are unsure how they can activate their cards are able to contact the 24/7 Migrant Help helpline.

"Accommodation providers can facilitate emergency cash payments in the meantime.”