Home Office bans asylum seekers from buying luxury goods and services

The government has produced a Merchant Category Codes blocked list that prevents many purchases on Home Office pre-paid Aspen cash cards used by asylum seekers. The list bans hundreds of items and activities, from armoured cars, snowmobiles and timeshares to flowers, audio books, toys and photocopying. The measure responds to reports of some asylum seekers using allowances to gamble. Aspen cards can be used at cashpoints and retailers that sell national lottery tickets and scratchcards. Many asylum seekers receive only £9.95 weekly in hotel accommodation or £49.18 in self-catering accommodation, and charities report distributing basic essentials like deodorant, socks and nail clippers. The codes use Americanised merchant codes because Visa and Mastercard mandate them.

Are you an asylum seeker and are you considering buying an armoured car, a snowmobile or a timeshare using your Home Office pre-paid cash card? If so, think again, for these are just some of the luxuries on a list of banned items and activities drawn up by the government. Quite how asylum seekers living in hotels who are banned from working but are provided with meals and receive 9.95 a week are expected to afford any luxuries is unclear.

This list demonstrates how out of touch politicians are with the realities of life for people seeking sanctuary in this country. People seeking asylum are receiving as little as 10 per week in financial support. They aren't buying the luxury items' the Home Office is suggesting. Every week, our volunteers are handing out essential items, like deodorant, socks and nail clippers.

Similarly, those in self-catering accommodation who receive 49.18 a week may find it tricky to foot the bill for flowers (also on the list). Officials have drawn up the extensive list of hundreds of banned items and activities in response to reports that some asylum seekers were using their weekly allowance to gamble. The money is pre-loaded on to cards called Aspen cards, which can be used at cashpoints, and some retailers including those who sell national lottery tickets and scratchcards.

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