TL;DR
Under the Immigration and Asylum Bill introduced to Parliament on 30 June 2026, asylum seekers who have access to sufficient funds will be required to repay a flat-rate contribution toward the cost of their accommodation and support. The Home Office expects the total contribution to be around £10,000 per person, paid monthly above a set threshold, with the full amount due before a person becomes eligible for settlement. The measures require parliamentary approval before they can take effect.
Last reviewed 30 June 2026
What the new contribution charge is
The Immigration and Asylum Bill sets out new powers for the Home Office to recover some of the cost of asylum support from adults who have received it, where those individuals have access to sufficient funds. Asylum support includes accommodation and subsistence payments. The recovery takes the form of a flat-rate charge rather than a means-tested calculation of each person's actual costs, with eligible adults paying an amount each month above a set threshold. According to the government, the total contribution is expected to be around £10,000 per person, described as a contribution toward the overall cost rather than full repayment.
Who will be required to pay
The requirement is aimed at adults who can afford to contribute, defined by access to sufficient funds rather than by immigration status alone. The Home Secretary will have the power to set and adjust both the charge and the thresholds. The government has said the thresholds are intended to be fair to the taxpayer while not forcing any individual into destitution, which means people below the threshold would not be expected to pay. Because the detailed thresholds will be set by the Home Secretary rather than written on the face of the Bill, the precise point at which someone becomes liable may be defined later.
How payments would be collected
The government has said the primary mechanism is expected to be direct payments to the Home Office. Options to use the tax and benefits systems to collect contributions are also being explored. The practical detail of collection, including frequency and enforcement, would sit alongside the primary legislation.
The link to settlement and returning to the UK
Under the plans, an individual would be required to pay the full amount before becoming eligible for settlement, which is the status that allows a person to remain in the UK without time restrictions. The government has also said that anyone who leaves the UK would be required to make their payments if they later wish to return. In effect the contribution is tied to a person's longer-term immigration pathway rather than being a one-off charge with no further consequence.
What asylum support currently costs
The government frames the policy against the cost of the existing support system. It put the annual cost of asylum accommodation and support at £4 billion last year. The Home Office estimates the average cost of accommodating an asylum seeker at £23.25 per person per night in dispersal accommodation and £144 per person per night in hotels, while subsistence payments range from £9.95 to £49.18 per person per week. The government says it has reduced asylum costs by around £1 billion since taking office and is ending the use of asylum hotels, reporting 31 hotel closures since April, with some asylum seekers moved into basic accommodation including former military sites.
Employment and earnings context
The government published figures on the working patterns of people granted refugee status to support the case that some recipients can contribute over time. Of those aged 16 to 64 granted asylum between 2015 and 2023, around a quarter were in employment within the same calendar year they were granted status, rising to about half two years after the grant. Among those in work eight years after the grant, 37 percent were in full-time employment with median earnings of £23,000, and 40 percent were earning more than the minimum wage.
Where the policy sits and what happens next
The contribution charge is part of the Immigration and Asylum Bill, which the government describes as a significant set of asylum policy proposals. As primary legislation, the Bill must complete its passage through Parliament before any of its measures take effect, and its provisions can be amended during that process. The detailed rates and thresholds for the contribution would then be set by the Home Secretary, so the figures described here are the government's stated intentions at the point of introduction rather than settled law.
Related guides
Disclaimer: This article explains a government policy announcement and the Immigration and Asylum Bill as published on 30 June 2026. The Bill is subject to parliamentary approval, and the detailed thresholds and rates may change before and after it becomes law. This is general information, not immigration or legal advice. All figures are the government's own estimates, drawn from the published source below.
Frequently asked questions
How much will asylum seekers have to pay toward accommodation?
The Home Office expects the total contribution to be around £10,000 per person, described as a contribution toward the overall cost of asylum support rather than full repayment.
When will the asylum contribution charge start?
It is contained in the Immigration and Asylum Bill introduced to Parliament on 30 June 2026. The Bill must pass through Parliament before the measures can take effect, so there is no confirmed start date yet.
Who has to pay the charge?
Adults who have received asylum support and have access to sufficient funds. The Home Secretary will set the thresholds, which the government says are intended not to force anyone into destitution.
Will the charge affect settlement?
Under the plans, the full amount would need to be paid before a person becomes eligible for settlement, and anyone who leaves the UK would be required to make payments if they later wish to return.
How will the payments be collected?
The primary mechanism is expected to be direct payments to the Home Office, with options to use the tax and benefits systems also being explored.
What does asylum accommodation currently cost the taxpayer?
The government put the annual cost of asylum accommodation and support at £4 billion last year, with average accommodation costs of £23.25 per person per night in dispersal housing and £144 per person per night in hotels.
