Last week, the Government confirmed that there will be a temporary extension to the ‘move on’ period from asylum accommodation for those with a positive asylum decision. This means that instead of being given just 28 days before their asylum support is stopped, newly granted refugees will now have double that time – 56 days – as part of what the Government has called an “interim measure’” in place until June 2025.

Bridget Young, NACCOM’s Director, commented; “We welcome this important step by the Government towards ensuring that refugees moving out of the asylum system aren’t pushed needlessly into the trauma of homelessness, which has been the case for rising numbers of people in recent years.”

“We know from our frontline network that people leaving asylum accommodation need more time to access vital support and find alternative accommodation. Extending the move-on period to at least 56 days will make a tangible difference not only to new refugees, but to the organisations and Local Authorities that support them during this important but precarious point of their asylum journey. Crucially, it also recognises that efforts to prevent homelessness in the asylum system should be in line with measures to tackle homelessness in the wider population. Without this important reform, many refugees will continue to face homelessness when their asylum support is stopped.”

“Whilst we are pleased that the Government has heeded calls from across the homelessness, housing and refugee sectors, including from NACCOM, to extend the move-on period, it’s also vital that further processes are introduced to support and empower refugees to fully utilise the 56 days. This includes ensuring that new refugees receive all their documentation at the right time, including access to eVisas, and have information about their rights, responsibilities and options.”

“We would like to see the Government build on this positive progress by making the 56-day move-on period a permanent change to the asylum move-on process, and widening it to include all people moving on from asylum accommodation. We look forward to working with them to further ensure that homelessness is no longer an inevitable consequence of the asylum system.”

NACCOM will be working with partners and members whilst the interim 56-day move-on period is operational to understand and track its impact and outcomes across our frontline network, with the aim of sharing this evidence with the Government to help ensure the best chance of success of an extended move-on period.

Why is having a 56-day move-on period important?

NACCOM has long been campaigning to extend the asylum move-on period, which is a clear and evidenced driver of homelessness amongst all people leaving the asylum system. It currently stands at 28 days for those with a positive decision, and 21 days for those whose claims have been refused.

In our 2018 report ‘Mind the Gap’, we highlighted how new refugees were made vulnerable to homelessness during the 28 move-on period, which does not give people enough time find alternative accommodation, employment, and access vital support including Universal Credit, before their support is stopped. This pushes many refugees into homelessness and rough sleeping, and places huge pressure on both statutory homelessness and voluntary sector services.

In NACCOM’s annual survey data briefing 2023/2024, we revealed a particularly sharp increase in homelessness amongst new refugees last year, with record numbers seeking emergency homelessness assistance from charities directly after being granted refugee protection and leaving Home Office accommodation. During this period, NACCOM’s members accommodated 1,941 refugee adults experiencing homelessness, a 99% increase on last year, and the largest cohort of refugees the NACCOM network has ever accommodated.

People leaving asylum accommodation after a refusal on their claim are also particularly vulnerable to homelessness, having just 21 days until their support is stopped, as documented by our 2023 Community Research report,‘Refused? Experiences following a negative asylum decision’.

Extending the move-on period to 56 days for both groups, along with other measures to improve the process of moving on from Home Office accommodation, would help to mitigate the likelihood of homelessness for all people leaving asylum accommodation.