Refugee Action have launched Slipping Through the Cracks: how Britain’s asylum system fails the most vulnerable.  Refugee Action tracked 315 cases of people applying for emergency accommodation and financial support over the past year, and found that the Home Office’s failure to follow existing policies frequently left people homeless and hungry.

Of the 315 cases supported by Refugee Action or Asylum Support Housing Advice (ASHA) reviewed:

•      50% of applications for emergency support (section 98) were wrongly refused, with 92% of these decisions overturned when challenged;

•      People waited an average of 2 months to receive long term financial and accommodation support and 3 months to receive just financial support.

•      People were left in initial accommodation for an average of 37 days, almost double the Home Office’s maximum target of 19 days. This left many in squalid, unsuitable conditions.

The Guardian published a special report on the story.