Council offers asylum seekers 50% off London e-bike rentals in 'win-win' deal
A London council is offering asylum seekers 50 per cent discounts on rented e-scooters and e-bikes.
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Wandsworth council's Labour leader described the new deal as "win-win".
The local authority's leader Simon Hogg struck the deal with private firms Lime, Forest and Voi.
The "Access For All" agreement aims at making the rentable bicycles and scooters "fair, safe and affordable".
Eligible residents include those in receipt of benefits, children who get free school meals, asylum seekers or refugees and children who are 'looked after' or care leavers.
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The cycle firm Voi said it would be covering the "full costs" to provide a "safe, sustainable and affordable way to travel to work, school or around the city", the MailOnline reports.
This comes as asylum seekers have been found to be using government-issued debit cards to fund their gambling habits in betting shops and casinos across the UK.
The pre-paid cards, loaded with £50 per week, are currently handed to asylum seekers by the Home Office in order to cover basic living costs including food and clothing.
However, new data released by the government department shows the cards are instead being used to place bets at bookmakers and even casinos across the UK.
According to the data, up to 6,537 asylum seekers have used the government-issued cards at an establishment linked to gambling on at least one occasion in the past year.
Last night, the Home Office confirmed an investigation had been launched into the claims.
It comes as Secretary of State for Business, Jonathan Reynolds, told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast it was "very concerning" the cards were being used for gambling activities.
"There will be an immediate investigation," he told LBC.
The figures, released under freedom of information (FOI) laws to PoliticsHome, reveal the cards are regularly being used to gamble as asylum seekers wait on the outcome of their claim.
The so-called 'Aspen cards' are used by the claimant for a period ranging between a few months and several years, with those in self-catered accommodation receiving £49.18 on the card each week.
Claimants are permitted to use the card for "clothes and footwear, non-prescription medicines, travel, food, non-alcoholic drinks, toiletries, laundry, toilet paper and communications" under government guidance.
The government department is able to monitor the use of cards but does not block payments for particular transactions outside of the permitted categories.