"Asylum seekers are people whose claims for refugee status haven’t been decided yet. While they’re waiting, they aren’t eligible for ordinary benefits.
Instead, asylum seekers can apply for government support if they are, or are likely to become, “destitute”. This can be accommodation, a subsistence allowance, or both.
As the National Audit Office put it, the accommodation provided is “typically a flat or shared house in which the asylum seeker is provided with bedding and basic kitchen equipment as well as basic furniture and access to cooking and washing facilities”, usually outside London and the South East.
Cash support to asylum seekers is limited to £36.95 per week for a single person aged 18 or over.
It’s only after being recognised as a refugee that a person claiming humanitarian protection can claim benefits along the same lines as British citizens."