RFI-3219-21: SUBSISTENCE PAYMENTS
Could you please confirm whether the local authority, for a family eligible for support
under Section 17 of the Children's Act 1989, who have no other source of income:
(a) Has guidance on the minimum or median rate of support provided per family
member?
Yes
(b) If so, what is the minimum or median rate received per week (or fortnight if
subsistence is paid fortnightly rather than weekly)?
£35.39 per family member per week.
(c) Whether the local authority provides additional funds for children aged 1-3?
No
(d) Whether the local authority provides additional funds for children aged 0-1?
No
(e) Whether the local authority provides additional funds for pregnant mothers?
Yes
(f) Whether the local authority provided any additional subsistence payments
during the Covid-19 pandemic to help with additional costs?
No
(g) If the answer to any of questions (c)-(f) is yes, then please outline what
additional funds are received per week (or fortnight if subsistence is paid
fortnightly rather than weekly)?
Re: Question (e):
Pregnant mother - £3.00 per week
Baby under 1 year old – £5.00 per week
Child age 1 to 3 - £3.00 per week
(h) Whether the local authority provides a maternity grant following the birth of a
child?
No
(i) And if so, how much is this grant and is it provided for every child or only for the
first child born to the mother?
N/A
(j) Whether the local authority provides discretionary payments for additional
expenditure, e.g. winter clothes, school uniforms, travel costs?
Discretionary payments for additional expenditure are provided when
identified as a need in child and family assessment.
(k) And if so, is there any guidance on the maximum amount payable or the
frequency of payments?
The guidance is based on Asylum support weekly rates as per
government guidelines.