Recently the Government has announced changes to both the ‘move on period’ and to Aspen cards, both of which will directly impact people living in asylum accommodation. The changes came with no warning and without consultation. Here, we explain what we know about the changes, and what we think about them. 

Reverting the move-on day period to 28 days from 56.

The move-on period is the time refugees in the UK have to leave asylum accommodation and apply for housing and benefits once granted status. It was extended from 28 to 56 days in December 2024 as a pilot, to reduce homelessness. This was a change we and others in our sector had advocated for years, given the totally unrealistic prospect of finding work, housing and applying for benefits in only four weeks. Giving people more time to access support and rebuild their lives with dignity after years in the asylum system was a positive change.

But on 28 August 2025, the Home Office quietly cut it back to just 28 days for most people. This will come into effect on the 1st September 2025. Only some groups, including pregnant women, families with children, disabled people, and those over 65, still get 56 days until December when the policy will be reviewed again. 

What this looks like in practice:

When someone is granted refugee status or another type of leave, they enter the ‘move-on period’ before their asylum support ends. This is the short window of time before financial support stops and they must leave Home Office accommodation. 

Everyone should receive a discontinuation of support letter at least 28 days before support ends, and a Notice to Quit (NTQ) at least 7 days before they must leave their accommodation.

When a person receives a positive decision, their UKVI online account (eVisa) should be created, which is proof of their immigration status. This digital status is needed to apply for Universal Credit, housing, work and other services, so it is important they can access their account.

The discontinuation of support letter, which gives 28 days’ notice of support ending, should only be sent when the person is able to access their eVisa. In other words, everyone should have at least 28 days of support with access to an eVisa.

Key points to know:

  • For most people, the move-on period is now 28 days.
  • Certain groups still receive 56 days: pregnant women, families with children, disabled people, and those aged 65 or over (this may change from December 2025).
  • No one should receive a discontinuation of support letter before they are able to access their UKVI/eVisa account. 
  • If discontinuation of support or notice to quit letters are missing, or a person’s support is being terminated too soon, please make a referral to GMIAU so we can help.
  • Once granted status, people become eligible for mainstream benefits and homelessness support from the local authority.

What we think

With the Home Office’s evaluation of the 56-day pilot still ongoing, this is a short-sighted and backwards step. It is a transparent attempt to respond to political pressure by moving people out of asylum accommodation, taking away the grace period which would allow them to find their feet and rebuild their lives. Expecting anyone to access benefits, secure housing, and find employment all within 28 days is completely unrealistic. It risks forcing new refugees into homelessness and destitution, pushing vulnerable people into unsafe and highly visible situations while putting more pressure on already overstretched local services. The Government urgently needs to rethink this policy.

ASPEN Cards

On 11 August 2025, the Home Office banned a long list of merchants for Aspen card use. This means the cards will no longer work at these places and any attempted transactions will be declined, though cash can still be used. The move is meant to ensure public funds are spent on “essentials”, but many of the listed merchants are for basic goods and services that help people live their lives with dignity. They include:

  • Colleges and universities – so people attending college classes may be blocked from buying a bottle of water or snack
  • Swimming pools, tourist attractions and digital audiovisual media – banning people from almost any recreational activities
  • Fines – meaning people who accrue any minor fines such as travel or library fines may be unable to pay them, leading to higher fines and criminalisation – which may then impact their asylum claim.

What we think

Introducing these restrictions without consultation is an unnecessary attack on people who are already forced to rely on Aspen cards. People seeking asylum cannot choose to financially support themselves, because they are banned from working:  they must rely on this support to survive. They deserve to live with dignity and to have choices over how they spend their time. These blocks will not reduce the amount of asylum support paid out, which is already inadequate to meet most people’s basic needs, let alone buy luxury goods. But they will cause confusion and embarrassment for people trying to pay for a wide range of everyday items.

We stand with people in the asylum system who are facing these relentless attacks from the government that should be protecting them, as well as from the press and from the far right.

Categories: Asylum hotels, Asylum Support, News