Cara A

As an asylum seeker in the UK, housing is provided, but there are still hidden costs and challenges that many people don’t see. We don’t pay rent, but we’re often placed in shared accommodation with very little control over conditions or location. Sometimes the housing is overcrowded or not properly maintained, and it’s hard to get issues fixed. We receive a very limited allowance (just a few pounds a day), which has to cover everything else — food, hygiene, travel, phone credit — so even small extra costs can be overwhelming. Managing is incredibly difficult, and budgeting means going without a lot of basic things.