At least ‘asylum seekers’ will be warm this winter
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Here’s a thought to warm your heart. Although tens of thousands of impoverished British pensioners will die from the cold in the coming months, so-called asylum seekers will get hundreds of pounds each in benefit payments for gas and electricity, amounting to more than double the pensioners’ winter fuel allowance.

This shocking revelation came after a letter regarding energy top-ups for asylum seekers was uncovered by Salford British National Party organiser Gary Tumulty (right).

Although far-left groups claimed that the letter was a fake, the figures quoted in it were later confirmed by Salford City Council lead member Peter Connor.

He said that the fuel cards given to asylum seekers entitle them to £25 a week for gas and £18 for electricity.

This means that each card holder gets £172 a month in energy payments, in addition to the other benefits asylum seekers receive, such as ‘cash support’ and accommodation, water and food allowances. In contrast, our pensioners only get a winter fuel allowance of £200 (for over 60s) or £300 (for over 80s) for the entire winter, meaning they receive less than half the amount asylum seekers are given over the same period.

‘It is unclear just how many are qualifying for this asylum seeker fuel top-up scheme, as Salford Council staff refused to give the figures out,’ said Mr Tumulty. ‘A freedom of information request has been submitted to obtain them.

‘The council would not take responsibility for the handouts and steered the blame to the central government. A 2009/10 figure obtained via freedom of information requests shows how Salford taxpayers funded asylum seekers to the tune of £137, 315.20, with handouts for rent, utility bills and fully furnished houses.

‘But this is not just a problem in Salford; this is happening nationwide. I knew this happened but never really had conclusive proof. Now we have it in black and white.’

Mr Tumulty added: ‘It’s appalling how the government and councils treat our own people in our own land. One pensioner in my ward told me how she struggles to keep her house warm in the winter. It can cost her up to £5 a day on gas and £15 a week on electricity, which adds up to a considerable amount when you’re so poor.’

An estimated 21,800 people over the age of 65 in England and Wales died last winter as a result of the cold conditions. That number is expected to rise this year after the government slashed winter fuel allowances.

The letter from the ‘Asylum Seeker Team’ regarding gas and electricity payments over winterThe letter from the ‘Asylum Seeker Team’ regarding gas and electricity payments over winter

Below you can hear a recording of a meeting in which Salford British National Party candidates Gary Tumulty and Kay Pollitt confront Salford Council about this issue. You can also see FOI requests from 2009 that give a glimpse of just how much the asylum swindle is costing British taxpayers.

Asylum seeker freedom of information requests (2009)

Q1, How many people have reported to Dallas Court Centre in the year of 2008 and up to August 2009?

A- On average, Dallas Court deals with approximately 8000 Reporting Events each month. A Reporting Event requires a person to report as part of the conditions of any temporary release or bail granted. However, the frequency of reporting events varies from person to person, and it is not therefore possible to accurately state how many ‘individuals’ have actually reported to Dallas Court during the period from January 2008 to August 2009.　

Q2, Can you list all benefits and claims asylum seekers are entitled to?

We call this cash support. For information on who can receive this help and how it is paid, see Cash support.

The amount of cash support we pay is based on the amount of income support paid to permanent residents of the United Kingdom by the Department for Work and Pensions. It takes into account the fact that, unlike permanent residents who receive income support, asylum applicants do not have to pay bills for essentials such as electricity, gas and water

The current rates of support are:

Qualifying couple (married or in a civil partnership): £69.57

Lone parent aged 18 or over: £42.16

Single person aged 18 or over, excluding lone parent: £35.13

Person aged at least 16, but under 18 (except a member of a qualifying couple): £38.18

Person aged under 16: £50.81

The rate for a single person aged 25 or over (excluding lone parent), where the decision to grant support was made prior to the 5 October 2009 and the person reached age 25 prior to that date, is £42.16. However, this rate will not be be offered to any new applicant applying for support after 5 October 2009.

mothers to be;

If you are a woman who is pregnant or with children under three, you can receive extra money to help you buy healthy food.

A baby under the age of 12 months receives an extra £5 a week. Pregnant women and children aged between one and three years receive an extra £3 a week.

If you are pregnant, you may be able to receive a £300 maternity payment, if you meet certain requirements. This money is to help you with the costs of having the baby. You can receive it only once.

You must apply for the maternity payment very close to the time when the baby is born. This must be less than a month before the baby is due to be born, or within two weeks after the birth. Your application must include one of the following:

an original, full birth certificate;

an original MAT B1 form (ask your case owner about this – it is a form provided by a doctor or midwife as evidence of your baby’s birth or expected birth); or other original, formal evidence of the birth.

Q3, How many of the above were detainees and non-detainees?

A- All the people who report to Dallas Court have either been granted Temporary Release or Bail, and are therefore classified as ‘non-detained’. In the period from 1st January 2009 to 31st August 2009, approximately 60 people have been detained upon reporting at Dallas Court.

Q4, How much was spent on the use of translators? Also list the top 10 languages that are translated from to English?

A- A total of £8.9M was spent on interpreters during 2008/09. A record of all languages translated is not held centrally. However, an analysis of the records held by the Central Interpreters Unit who are responsible for booking a significant number of interpreters for UKBA would suggest that the following are the top 10 languages translated:

Sorani,

Tigrinian,

Farsi,

Arabic,

Pushtu

Mandarin,

Shona,