Will Jones – Daily Sceptic Sept 6, 2025
Labour has refused to reveal how many top-up debit card payments have been made to asylum seekers after it emerged some were using the money for gambling. The Telegraph has the story.
Steve Barclay, a former Conservative minister, accused the Home Office of trying to avoid scrutiny after his requests for the data were rejected three times.
Asylum Support Enablement Cards (also known as Aspen cards) offer financial support for basic necessities like food, clothing and toiletries. A claimant in self-catering accommodation typically receives £49.18 each week via a Visa debit card which enables users to withdraw cash as well as pay for in-store purchases.
However, concerns have been raised over their use, including the disclosure that some had been used to make gambling payments.
Up to 6,537 asylum seekers have used the government cards at least once in the past year in venues such as bookmakers, amusement arcades and casinos, according to figures released under a Freedom of Information request. Attempts to gamble online using the cards were made, but were blocked each time.
Mr Barclay, who was charged by Boris Johnson with overseeing efforts to tackle the small boats crisis, said: “Either the Home Office is intentionally trying to avoid scrutiny, or they simply don’t know – either of which is damning.
“There have been real concerns about the use of Asylum Support Enablement Cards and the public have a right to know exactly how often taxpayers’ money is being sent to them.
“They could be one of the many pull-factors that is fuelling the small boats crisis, which is even further out of control under Labour.
“The only way we can tackle it is through tougher measures, and to do this we will need to be out of the European Convention on Human Rights.”
Mr Barclay has asked a series of Parliamentary questions over the past six months to try to extract information on the number of top-up payments made to Aspen cards. Yet on three occasions, he said the Home Office has refused to answer.
Worth reading in full.
This shows how easy it is for the SATT ( scum at the top ) to know what ALL cards are used for. Use cash if you want privacy.
“How Much Money are Asylum Seekers Getting”
As much as can be squeezed out of the British Taxpayer’s pocket.
Capisce?🤔
LOL..
Just think about it… the pirate rock regime hands out debit cards to anyone that floats across the channel, it also provides accommodation ranging from a hotel room to quite plush london housing….on top of that you can get your gruesome teeth fixed up, learn to drive and then speed about without insurance…ogle schoolgirls with the intent of at the very least, trafficking them at some future date and hang around the streets selling drugs and probably debit cards handed out by the pirate rock regime..
So if you are are sleeping on a cinder floor in a slum in west Africa, collecting plastic bottles for a living and eating a bowl of rice a day..
what would you do?…. and of course the regime knows that…in fact it counts on it..
@Tony
SCATT may be a better acronym for them..?