The Home Office announced that it would:
- Increase the weekly payment to those eligible for outreach support from £35 to £39.60.
- Increase the payment for child dependents from £20.50 per week for the first child and £13.55 for additional children, to £39.60 per week for each child.
- Introduce new additional payments for very young children:
- £5 a week until the child’s first birthday
- £3 a week from then until their third birthday.
- Introduce a weekly payment of £3 for pregnant women.
- Introduce a one-off maternity grant of £300
The changes follow a legal challenge from the law firm Duncan Lewis, whose client relied on charity to supplement their £20.50 weekly payment. A victim of “horrific sexual abuse” by Chinese traffickers, the previous rates left her without basic necessities like shoes, dummies and blankets for her baby.
The Home Office changes brings support payments for non-asylum claiming trafficking victims in line with those paid to asylum seekers. The basic rate of support for asylum was increased to £39.60 a week on the 15th of June.
Duncan Lewis had said there was “no objective justification” for the lower level of support for victims of trafficking outside of the asylum system. Solicitor Shalini Patel said, “I am pleased that this challenge resulted in positive change. It will impact many victims of trafficking who have children or are pregnant”.
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