Home Office U-turns after unlawfully slashing support for trafficking survivors during pandemic (The Independent) (22 September 2020)

The Home Office has made a U-turn on a decision to cut financial support for trafficking victims during the pandemic days before legal action is due to take place. The department was due to face lawyers in court arguing that the government should reinstate support to all potential modern slavery survivors in initial asylum accommodation. However the Home Office made changes to its modern slavery guidance to state that this group would continue to receive support, although the rate was reduced from £35 per week to £25.40. The government said it would also backdate payments for all potential victims of modern slavery housed in initial asylum accommodation to the date in July when payments were stopped. Rachael Davis, comments: “The government left hundreds of survivors of trafficking without any financial support for two months during a global pandemic. Survivors should not have to fight so hard to receive the little financial support to which they are legally entitled.”