ABSTRACT
This chapter talks about respondents' material living conditions throughout the refugee granting process, with an emphasis on the initial stages of their asylum claims. It focuses on respondents' narratives bringing to light the material conditions of their existence in the UK. The chapter addresses the recurrent material problems that respondents encounter through and after the asylum process. It examines the physical space of the asylum interview and the interactions between asylum claimants and Home Office caseworkers as well as interpreters. According to Smart's empirical research, refugees and asylum seekers in the UK are at a particularly high risk of becoming destitute and homeless. This occurs despite the policy that "refugees should be able to access social housing and welfare benefits on the same basis as UK nationals and most asylum seekers receive accommodation and support from the UK Border Agency while their claims for asylum are processed".
