Benchmarking Guidance for Local Authorities: Establishing Subsistence Rates for Destitute Migrant Households Supported by Social Services

Local authorities provide a statutory, parallel welfare safety net for some destitute migrants who are eligible for social services support (predominantly families with dependent children, care leavers and adults with care needs). This includes provision of accommodation and subsistence payments to meet essential living needs. Research by the University of Oxford found that few local authorities have a clear policy for providing these subsistence payments, and that it is often reliant on individual social workers and teams to define acceptable amounts. This benchmarking guidance aims to set out how local authorities can establish local minimum acceptable rates, which will vary according to individual and parents’ immigration status. It outlines several benchmarking options, ranging from the lowest acceptable level (asylum support rates) to mainstream benefits levels and projected minimum income levels, to not live in poverty.