New research finds 56-day move-on pilot scheme improved outcomes but problems persisted in finding housing and securing income
A report published last month by the Refugee Council has raised concerns that newly recognised refugees in the UK are not being given enough time to transition from Home Office asylum support to finding their own accommodation and an income.
Image credit: WikipediaThe 25-page report, Getting it right: the importance of the move-on period for newly recognised refugees, can be downloaded here.
Since 2002, the 'move-on period' has typically lasted 28 days, a timeframe the Refugee Council says has repeatedly led to homelessness and hardship. As the issue became more acute in 2024 due to efforts to clear the asylum backlog, the Government launched a pilot scheme in December 2024 that extended the move-on period to 56 days.
The Refugee Council's new research draws on interviews with refugees, local authorities, health professionals and charities. It finds that the longer 56-day timeframe improved outcomes. Refugees were more likely to secure accommodation, access Department for Work and Pensions benefits such as Universal Credit, and experienced reduced stress during the transition.
In early March 2026, however, the Government confirmed that the move-on period would be set at 42 days for all newly recognised refugees, replacing the extended pilot timeframe.
As the report notes, the change was not formally announced but instead communicated through updated Home Office guidance. The Refugee Council said no detailed explanation was provided for selecting 42 days rather than 56 days, and the evaluation of the pilot scheme has not yet been published.
In a parliamentary answer last month, minister Alex Norris, the Minister for Border Security and Asylum, explained:
"The 56-day pilot evaluation report will be published on GOV.UK as part of the Home Office Research Series. Publication is expected in Spring 2026.
"In reaching the decision to set the notice period to 42 days, we have considered a range of evidence, including key findings from the evaluation of the 56-day pilot, operational data, and forecasted impacts on the asylum accommodation estate. We will continue to work closely with our partners to reduce barriers and support effective transitions from asylum accommodation.
"The Home Office and the Department for Work and Pensions work together to ensure universal credit can be accessed as early as possible following a positive decision being issued. The standard timeframe for an individual to receive their first Universal Credit (UC) payment is 35 days from application.
"The 42 days' notice period best enables the Home Office to fulfil our statutory obligations whilst looking to minimise impact on Local Authorities and individuals granted leave. This further supports our commitment to deliver reductions to the cost of asylum accommodation and end the use of asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament."
The Refugee Council says it is hard to understand fully the logic for setting the move-on period at 42 days. It argues that a 56-day move-on period should be permanently adopted, aligning with housing legislation and welfare timelines.
The charity's research found that the extension of the move-on period to 56 days during the pilot had been a positive development, but housing still remained a struggle for over 80% of respondents. The report notes: "Even with the extension to 56 days, less than half (43%) of refugees said they managed to obtain private rented or social housing by the end of the move-on period. The rest were left in precarious situations that would meet the definition of legally homeless, such as staying in hostels, 'sofa-surfing' with friends, or, in a few cases, sleeping rough after being evicted from their Home Office accommodation."
A substantial improvement was seen for refugees applying for Universal Credit, with 48% receiving their first payment before the end of the 56-day move-on period whereas that had been impossible with the 28-day move-on period.
The Refugee Council said: "While an improvement, there were still problems that arose which meant payments weren't made before the end of the 56 day move-on period, including the complicated nature of everything that's happening at the point someone gets their positive asylum decision. A slight delay with one process can have a significant impact. As one agency representative described it, 'there are so many hoops to jump through, and if even one thing goes wrong, everything gets held up'."
With regard to eVisas, the research found that while the shift from physical Biometric Residence Permits to digital status brought some benefits, such as reducing the risk of lost documents and enabling quicker online verification, it also introduced significant challenges. Refugees reported delays in accessing their eVisa accounts, technical errors, and periods where they could not prove their legal status, affecting access to jobs, housing and benefits. Limited digital literacy and lack of access to devices or the internet made the system difficult for many to navigate, while landlords, banks and some frontline services were often unfamiliar with eVisas and reluctant to accept them.
The report further highlights the psychological toll of the transition period. Refugees described high levels of anxiety, insomnia and, in some cases, worsening mental health conditions, with health professionals warning that the process can trigger trauma and increase the risk of crisis situations.
It states: "Collectively, health professionals stress that the move-on period is not only an administrative challenge, but also a public health issue. The sudden withdrawal of accommodation and support destabilises people who are already vulnerable, undermining recovery from previous trauma. As it was reflected, the transition 'flips everything overnight', turning hope into panic and leaving even the most resilient individuals 'absolutely desperate and not knowing what to do'."
In concluding, the Refugee Council says while an extension of the move-on period to 56 days is necessary, this alone will not solve all the problems that newly-recognised refugees face. Processes also need to be streamlined and communication improved to ensure that refugees are given the right start to the next stage of their life in the UK.