Factsheet 18 - Asylum Support for Survivors of Domestic Abuse

This Factsheet looks at the Home Office (HO) guidance dealing with how the HO, its housing contractors and Migrant Help (MH) should react when an asylum-seeker experiences domestic abuse (DA) in the UK and needs safe housing and support. Updated August 2025.

In this Factsheet

• Who do the Home Office policies apply to?
• Definition of domestic abuse
• Domestic abuse and inadequate accommodation
• Using the Minimum Standards Guidance as a tool for advocacy
• When domestic abuse is disclosed by a woman already on asylum support
  • Key principles and actions expected of HO, accommodation providers, and MH
  • Splitting asylum support from the alleged perpetrator
  • Access to independent legal advice
• When domestic abuse is disclosed by a woman who needs access to asylum support
  • For women with active asylum claims
  • For women with refused asylum claims
• Accessing refuge accommodation
  • How to make a refuge booking request
  • Refuge move on
• Specialist advice
• Right to appeal when support is refused

The Home Office has produced two helpful documents that are relevant to DA survivors in the asylum system: Domestic Abuse Policy and Minimum Standards Guidance.

Who do these HO policies apply to?

The HO policies apply to all survivors of DA who have an ongoing asylum claim and some survivors who have been refused asylum. In both cases, survivors will need to be eligible for asylum support in order to benefit from the provisions in the guidance. This means that they will need to be destitute and, if applying for s4 support (see Factsheet 5 and Factsheet 2), they will need to satisfy the additional eligibility criteria for that form of support.

Please note that this guidance applies to all DA survivors, irrespective of gender. However, as domestic abuse is a form of gender-based violence that has a disproportionate impact on women and girls, this factsheet refers to women specifically.

Definition of domestic abuse

The Domestic Abuse Guidance adopts the following definition of domestic abuse: any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. This can encompass, but is not limited to, the following types of abuse:

• Psychological
• Physical
• Sexual
• Financial
• Emotional
• Controlling behaviour
• Coercive behaviour
• Honour-based violence
• Forced marriage
• FGM

This guidance recognises that the risk of serious harm from a perpetrator often rises at the point that a woman decides to leave an abusive situation.

The guidance also acknowledges the impact of DA on children and references the HO duty to safeguard and promote the needs of children under section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009. It specifies that any need for specialist support for children to help them recover from the impact of DA should be considered when the HO is considering safe accommodation options for a woman and children.

Domestic abuse and inadequate accommodation

The Asylum Support Regulations 2000 section 8(3)(g) explicitly states that an existing accommodation is not adequate if "continued occupation of the accommodation will lead to domestic violence." Where an asylum seeker reports that they are a victim of domestic abuse, the HO accommodation provider must offer alternative safe accommodation for the victim and any children immediately. Under no circumstances can a victim be expected to return to accommodation with the abusive partner. See page 12 of the Home Office policy, ‘Domestic abuse: responding to reports of domestic abuse from asylum seekers’ version 2.0 

Using the Minimum Standards Guidance as a tool for advocacy

The Minimum Standards Guidance outlines the minimum roles and responsibilities expected of the HO and its subcontractors when they receive a disclosure of domestic abuse by someone in the asylum system. This is a really useful advocacy tool for support workers and individuals to hold the HO and its subcontractors to the requisite standard of action and support when working with a household experiencing domestic abuse and in need of safe accommodation.

The document outlines the expectations of how the conversation should be conducted including safety concerns, needs identification, risk and safeguarding assessment. It explains that the conversation is led by the survivor, who should be supported to make an informed decision on what happens next. The guidance then outlines how to pursue each of three options: staying in their accommodation, moving to new asylum support accommodation or moving to a refuge. See pages 3-8 of ‘Minimum Standards for responding to domestic abuse disclosures from asylum seekers

The document also provides a checklist of actions for accommodation providers, Migrant Help (MH) and the HO Asylum Safeguarding Hub (ASH), as well as their contact details, which can be used to ensure that each party is taking the requisite steps to support the woman’s safety needs.

When domestic abuse is disclosed by a woman already on asylum support

To make a request for safe alternative accommodation for a woman who is currently on asylum support, contact the relevant HO accommodation provider:

• Clearsprings: Safeguarding.Referrals@ready-homes.com (Covering London Southeast/Southwest and Wales)
• Serco: aasc.safeguarding@serco.com (Covering Northwest of England, Midlands, and East of England)
• Mears: aire.sdc@mearshousing.co.uk (Covering Scotland, Northern Ireland, Northeast of England Yorkshire and Humberside)
• If disclosure is made via accommodation provider, they should forward the domestic violence disclosure to MH and the ASH; however, it is recommended to follow up with the ASH just in case.

Alternatively, you can also contact MH directly at: escalations@migranthelpuk.org alongside the ASH: asylumsafeguarding@homeoffice.gov.uk. Remember to use the subject line “Urgent Request: Domestic Abuse” to flag a quicker response.

Key principles and actions expected of HO, accommodation providers, and MH:

The HO guidance outlines important principles and actions that it expects HO caseworkers, accommodation providers and MH to consider and undertake when a woman already on support reports DA. This list includes:

• At point of disclosure, a woman is to be believed without the requirement for any corroborating evidence of DA and should be consulted on what next steps to take.
• A safe means of communicating with the woman must be agreed so that she is not put at further risk by communications being intercepted by the perpetrator.
• Under no circumstances should an accommodation provider expect a survivor to return to accommodation with the perpetrator of abuse.
• A woman should be referred to a specialist DA service for advice and support. The HO should act on the recommendations of any specialist advisor in relation to safe accommodation options.
• MH have to report cases of DA to the HO asylum support team leader who will refer the case to the HO safeguarding team.
• A change in circumstances form may need to be completed to update the asylum support record, particularly of a new address
• If the survivor requests to be moved to new asylum support accommodation:
  • Accommodation providers must immediately offer safe alternative accommodation. This can be through initial accommodation as a last resort. Please note that throughout this Factsheet when we refer to IA that also includes hotels and other contingency accommodation, reflecting the current landscape of Asylum Support accommodation.
  • The providers do not need to wait for the HO to approve a move into safe alternative accommodation.
  • Any alternative accommodation must be suitable for the needs of the woman and any children. This may mean that she is accommodated near to specialist services, such as IDVAs, BAME or LGBTQI+ specialist services, or a Rape Crisis centre. Her support needs and accommodation requests should be accommodated as far as possible. The Minimum Standards Guidance says this should always include single-gender accommodation and may include self-contained accommodation as well. See page 6 and page 8 of ‘Minimum Standards for responding to domestic abuse disclosures from asylum seekers’
  • The guidance also states that the HO "may meet or contribute to the cost of other alternative accommodation, for example with friends." See page 12 of the Home Office policy, ‘Domestic abuse: responding to reports of domestic abuse from asylum seekers’ version 2.0 
• If the survivor requests to remain in her current accommodation:
  • The HO policies recognise that a woman may wish to remain in her current accommodation and that the AASCs may need to re-locate the perpetrator.
  • A woman may want to remain in her current area because, for example, she has children in local schools and other support networks.
• If the survivor requests an option outside of asylum support accommodation:
  • The accommodation provider and MH should explain refuge as an option, including what a refuge is, the nature of support it offers to survivors, that it is shared accommodation generally with people of the same gender, etc.
  • Please refer to sections “Accessing refuge accommodation” and “Refuge move-on” towards the end of the factsheet.

Splitting asylum support:

A woman who is a dependant on an alleged perpetrator’s asylum support claim should be offered safe alternative accommodation as an initial priority. She should then be supported to complete a separate ASF1 application for herself and any children who remain in her household, so she can get her own ASPEN card. If domestic abuse is disclosed to the accommodation provider, they should inform MH’s Outreach Team so that they can get in contact with the woman to help her make a timely ASF1 application; you may need to explain that you are requesting the asylum support to be split because of separation due to DA. A woman should not lose her s98, s95 or s4 eligibility by leaving the perpetrator, as long as she remains a dependant on the alleged perpetrator’s asylum claim and/or is married to the alleged perpetrator. This is because the woman would continue to meet the definition of a dependant of an asylum seeker and dependants can get support separately from the main asylum seeker. While the ASF1 is being processed for the survivor, the accommodation provider can and should arrange Emergency Cash Payments (ECPs). While the ASF1 card is being dispatched, HO can and will authorise additional ECPs to cover the period the survivor may be without an ASPEN card.

Access to independent legal advice:

The Domestic Abuse Guidance emphasises that women should be reassured that they do not need to remain in a situation of DA for asylum purposes. The HO must reassure women that they can access free legal advice on whether to claim asylum independently from a perpetrator and that any information a woman provides as part of her asylum claim will be treated in confidence (subject to safeguarding duties).See page 14 of the Home Office policy, ‘Domestic abuse: responding to reports of domestic abuse from asylum seekers’ version 2.0 However, there is always a risk that the alleged perpetrator might remove her from the asylum claim, which would impact her immigration application and jeopardise her eligibility for asylum support (to be eligible for asylum support, you need to have a pending asylum application, be a dependant on someone else’s asylum application, or have a refused asylum application). Therefore, it is very important that she seeks legal advice as soon as possible. For immigration and asylum law advice contact the Rights of Women advice line here.

When domestic abuse is disclosed by a woman who needs access to asylum support

If a survivor is eligible for, but not on asylum support, it is possible to request she is provided with asylum support immediately, whether through refuge or s98 (initial accommodation). For more information on s98 and how to apply see Factsheet 17 and the s98 referral form We are aware that many advice workers go directly to the RIAV team (RoutingIAValidation@homeoffice.gov.uk) to request initial accommodation, copying in the ASH (asylumsafeguarding@homeoffice.gov.uk). Put as much detail in this email as possible. Alternatively, you can also contact MH for help making the application.

There are additional principles and actions that HO caseworkers must consider and undertake when a report of DA is received from a woman who is not accommodated at the time by the HO, but is eligible for asylum support. The statutory test used to determine destitution for s95 and s4 remains the same (see Factsheet 5).

For women with active asylum claims (independently or as a dependant):

• Recognition that if a woman’s continued occupation of a private accommodation will lead to a risk of DA, that accommodation is not adequate, and the woman will normally be eligible for HO funded accommodation under pending any further enquiries regarding s95 eligibility. This can be through provision of a refuge.
• A woman should be believed at the point of disclosure and corroborating evidence of DA should not be required for support purposes.
• Recognition that once it has been established that the woman is an asylum-seeker and therefore potentially eligible for s95 support, it will usually be unnecessary to make detailed enquiries to establish destitution or require a full application for s95 support at the initial stage.
• Under no circumstances should a woman be required to provide evidence of destitution at the initial stage following a disclosure. This can be provided at a later stage.
• In addition, a woman should not be asked to seek destitution evidence from a perpetrator at any stage. 
• Initial accommodation may be used ‘as a last resort in an emergency situation.’See page 11 of the Home Office policy, ‘Domestic abuse: responding to reports of domestic abuse from asylum seekers’ version 2.0 
• The woman will need to complete an ASF1 form to ensure she starts receiving subsistence payments to meet essential living needs as soon as possible, but this is not immediately required.
• The Domestic Abuse Guidance emphasises that women should be reassured that they do not need to remain in a situation of DA for asylum purposes. The HO must reassure women that they can access free legal advice on whether to claim asylum independently from a perpetrator and that any information a woman provides as part of her asylum claim will be treated in confidence (subject to safeguarding duties).However, there is always a risk that the alleged perpetrator might remove her from the asylum claim, which would impact her immigration application and jeopardise her eligibility for asylum support (to be eligible for asylum support, you need to have a pending asylum application, be a dependant on someone else’s asylum application, or have a refused asylum application). Therefore, it is very important that she seeks legal advice as soon as possible. For immigration and asylum law advice contact the Rights of Women advice line here.

For women with refused asylum claims:

• A woman should be believed at the point of disclosure and she should not be asked to evidence DA at this point.
• A woman’s accommodation is not adequate if her continued occupation will lead to a risk of domestic abuse.
• The woman will need to complete an ASF1 form but this may not be immediately required in an emergency situation. To qualify for s4 support, refused asylum-seekers must be destitute and meet a narrow set of criteria Immigration and Asylum (Provision of Accommodation to Failed Asylum Seekers) Regulations 2005, Reg 3(2). See Factsheet 2 for more information on Section 4.
• For women applying for s4 support, there is no explicit HO commitment to accommodating women in safe alternative accommodation prior to their eligibility for support being established. However, the guidance does specify that the provision of initial accommodation may be used ‘as a last resort in an emergency situation.’ See page 11 of the Home Office policy, ‘Domestic abuse: responding to reports of domestic abuse from asylum seekers’ version 2.0 This phrase suggests that the HO will offer alternative safe accommodation for women in emergency situations, i.e. fleeing domestic abuse, prior to a full assessment of s4 eligibility being established. This might be in HO initial accommodation or a refuge.
• If initial accommodation is appropriate or needed for your client’s safety, we suggest requesting s98 accommodation as you would for an asylum seeker entitled to s95, escalating as necessary as a matter of safeguarding.

Accessing refuge accommodation

The HO will fund refuge places for victims of domestic abuse who are eligible for asylum support. To set up refuge payment systems, there are two HO involved: 1) the Asylum Safeguarding Hub (ASH), which is the HO unit that supervises the case and is the first point of contact for refuge funding and move on requests; and 2) the Accommodation Reconciliation and Data Team (ARDAT), which is the team that sets up refuge providers in the HO systems and administers payments.

How to make a refuge booking request:

To secure refuge access through asylum support:

1. An accommodation provider, MH, or an advice agency/support worker should help a woman to ring the National Domestic Abuse Helpline (NDAH) to discuss refuge options. Alternatively, Women’s Aid has a dedicated service for professionals that may be able to assist you with the search.
2. If an available refuge space is identified and a woman chooses to access the placement, this decision should be supported by all stakeholders.
3. An accommodation provider, MH, or an advice agency/support worker must put the refuge provider and the ASH (asylumsafeguarding@homeoffice.gov.uk) in direct contact to allow for the placement to be authorised.
   • To do this, email the ASH (asylumsafeguarding@homeoffice.gov.uk) with the subject line “Urgent: Refuge Booking Request” so it is filtered appropriately. #
   • Include as much information as possible, such as her name, date of birth, HO reference number, information on s95/4 eligibility, the details of the refuge (payment details, contact information), and briefly explain why she needs access to a refuge. If the matter is urgent and requires a quicker response, provide relevant details in the email.
   • If you haven’t found a space yet but are continuing to look for one, we still recommend sending the same email to the ASH so they can start the administrative process and are aware of the need. You can update them when a space has been found. While you continue to look for a space, apply for s98 accommodation through MH  If you are struggling to get through to MH to secure s98, email escalations@migranthelpuk.org or by sending the referral form to the RIAV team (RoutingIAValidation@homeoffice.gov.uk), explaining the situation, to ensure the survivor has somewhere safe to stay in the interim. Copy the ASH into any emails.
4. The ASH will contact the refuge and then issue a letter to them confirming refuge placement, payment rate, and other relevant details. See Annex 1 at the end of this Factsheet for a sample letter. This will enable the refuge to secure the bed space. The letter will also include contact details for ARDAT (Accommodation Reconciliation and Data Team), where the invoices should be sent.
   • The HO has agreed to fund the amount that would normally be received by a refuge through housing benefit and the utility costs that the refuge would normally collect by way of a charge to the resident. An additional contribution of up to £80 p/w will be paid by the HO in recognition of extra costs that refuges may occur in supporting asylum seeking survivors of DA. This additional funding can be used however the refuge thinks will best support the survivor.
   • Per the Minimum Standards Guidance, the terms of the placement confirmation letter will, from the start of the placement, constitute a legally binding contract between the HO and the refuge provider, so the refuge provider is assured that payment will be forthcoming.
   • If it takes more than 48 hours to get a response from the ASH to confirm refuge placement, please contact us at wla@asaproject.org.uk if you would like us to escalate the case and troubleshoot the delay. We will need a consent form signed by your client to contact the HO about their case.
5. After approval from the ASH, the refuge provider should accept terms of the letter and confirm the space. The refuge provider should send invoices directly to the ARDAT team at artinvoices@homeoffice.gov.uk, and they can decide how often to invoice (monthly, weekly etc.). See page 11 of ‘Minimum Standards for responding to domestic abuse disclosures from asylum seekers’
6. Prior to relocation, ensure a safe means of exit has been planned and transport has been organised. The HO or accommodation provider should pay for transport and it should be arranged in a safe and appropriate manner. See pages 6, 7, 8 and 9 of ‘Minimum Standards for responding to domestic abuse disclosures from asylum seekers' Minimum Standards Guidance clearly outlines the transportation requirements: “[i]n accordance with Home Office guidance, AASC (Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contracts) action and responsibility to organise transportation at a suitable hour (e.g., not late at night), clearly explain the length of journey, destination, time of departure, and ensure that they have enough notice to pack their belongings before departure. The housing provider is also responsible for arranging transportation.” Contact the ASH if you have concerns about transport to a refuge.

The Domestic Abuse Guidance outlines that because refuge locations are confidential, refuge addresses will be provided in the form of a PO Box number. The HO must accept PO Box numbers for processing purposes and record the number, as the refuge resident’s address on all relevant systems.

Moving on from a refuge:

There is no time limit to HO payment of refuge space – survivors can be supported into s95/s4 when they are ready to leave, as long as they remain eligible for asylum support. As with any refuge stay, they should and can stay in refuge for the appropriate amount of time for themselves and their rehabilitation, not for the duration of their asylum claim. When survivor is ready:

1. Notify ASH (asylumsafeguarding@homeoffice.gov.uk) with as much advance notice as possible so that appropriate accommodation can be sourced (we recommend at least 6 weeks in advance).
2. Gather evidence of specific accommodation requirements:
   • Keep in mind, asylum support accommodation is allocated on a no choice basis.
   • Evidence might include: letters from medical professionals, refuge workers, other supporting professionals and/or safety specifications.
   • Be clear on any requirements on room sharing, accommodation type, accessibility and location.
   • The need to be near specialist services should be considered by the HO when sourcing s95 or s4 accommodation post-refuge.
3. Send evidence and accommodation request to CoC@migranthelpuk, also cc-ing  ASH (asylumsafeguarding@homeoffice.gov.uk) and include an eviction date.
4. If you don’t receive a response within 1 week, contact MH Escalations Team (escalations@migranthelpuk.org).
5. If there is additional delay, please contact wla@asaproject.org.uk if you would like us to escalate the case to the HO and troubleshoot the delay. We will need a consent form signed by your client to contact the HO about their case.
6. Make it clear in your communication that the survivor cannot be discharged from the refuge unless you know the location is safe.

Please note individuals are sometimes informed that they will be dispersed without much notice and often are not provided with the address in advance, so you may need to explain why this is not appropriate.

Specialist advice

The Domestic Abuse Guidance creates an obligation on the part of the HO, MH and accommodation providers to ensure women are referred to specialist advice organisations within the DA sector following a disclosure. In the event that a woman or her dependent makes a disclosure, or if DA is suspected, MH must make a referral with a woman’s informed consent, to an appropriate specialist agency. The guidance also requires MH to signpost women to specialist support and advice organisations, if they suspect DA affects a woman. See pages 10, 12 and 17 of the Home Office policy, ‘Domestic abuse: responding to reports of domestic abuse from asylum seekers’ version 2.0.

Right to appeal when support is refused

To make an application for support, contact MH who can help with filling in an ASF1 application form or search for a voluntary sector organisation who might be able to help. In the event that the HO refuses an application for support, a woman will have a right of appeal to the First Tier Tribunal (Asylum Support). For more information on appeals to the Tribunal, see Factsheet 3 and Guide to Appeals.

Annex 1: Home Office pro-forma letter to refuges