Problems with issuing payment cards after Home Office changed provider is risking severe hardship
Charities and human rights campaigners have warned that thousands of asylum seekers are at risk of going hungry for 10 days or more after multiple reports of problems with cash cards provided by the Home Office.
The Home Office gives £39.63 per week to asylum seekers in the form of a debit card called an Aspen card. Until Friday 21 May these were administered by the facilities management company Sodexo. But this week the contract has been taken over by a new company, Prepaid Financial Services, which is replacing the old Aspen cards with new ones. Asylum seekers and charities across the UK supporting them are reporting problems including new cards not arriving, people receiving cards with other people’s names on or no money showing up on the new cards once asylum seekers have activated them.
