Families with children and vulnerable adults were left penniless and hungry after a change to payment cards for asylum seekers descended into a "shambolic mess".
Charities were left picking up the pieces after asylum seekers found they could not access any money due to errors with the rollout of a new type of payment card by a Home Office contractor.
Asylum Link Merseyside, based at the St Anne's Centre in Toxteth, said it had issued more than 35 emergency food packages in the week after the new cards went live on May 21 - including to families with young children and adults with severe mental health problems.
The issue surrounds debit cards, known as Aspen cards, given to those going through the asylum process to enable them to access £39.63 per week in support payments from the government.
The issuing of the cards is contracted out to a private firm called Prepaid Financial Services, but reports have emerged of technical errors with the new cards, cards being sent to the wrong address and asylum seekers becoming confused with the process.
Ewan Roberts, centre manager for Asylum Link Merseyside, told the ECHO: "We’re 20 years old this year but have never witnessed an attack on Refugees like the one Home Secretary Priti Patel has unleashed with her new plan for immigration.
"Last week the Government introduced new payment cards for Asylum Seekers, many of which went to the wrong addresses or were returned to Croydon, or couldn’t be activated.
"It demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of how the system works and blames the ills of an inefficient and disorganised Home Office on the people seeking help.
"The long and the short of it was the voluntary sector dealing with Asylum Seekers had to stop what it was doing and provide food for people last week.
"Their emergency payments system collapsed. This was entirely predictable and demonstrates what a shambolic mess they make of things.
"More than that, we actually had households with children, who had nothing to eat. It makes a mockery of the Home Secretary telling us she is closing the borders to make it safer for people."
Mr Roberts said those using the old cards had been encouraged to spend their money before the new system came in place - meaning they were suddenly left penniless.
He said: "Asylum seekers do not have cupboards full of supplies like you or I may have, you cannot expect that with £39 per week.
"When your money stops for whatever reason it's a big deal. Especially if you are new in an area like Liverpool, it can be quite disorientating, there is the language issue and it can be quite hostile.
"We helped more than 30 people last week, and we spoke to voluntary sector organisations in other areas and it was the same for them.
"These are just the people who have been able to get in contact with us as well. It's horrific, they go to use their cards and their is just nothing there.
"If they are lucky enough to have money on their phones they can call for help."
Examples of people left at their wits end by the process included a family of five including three children with disabilities and a mum with "severe" mental health issues.
The family activated their new cards according to the instructions they were given, but found it had a nil balance.
The mum called the dedicated helpline for asylum seekers, Migrant Help, and after several attempts requested an emergency payment.
According to Asylum Link: "Migrant Help advised her that they do not handle Emergency Payments and that she should contact her housing manager directly.
"Mum tried arguing that the only way to contact Serco is via Migrant Help but got nowhere. She had no choice but to end the call.
"I contacted Serco safeguarding who said they couldn’t issue the Emergency Payment without Migrant Help sending one through and said they would get in touch with Migrant Help to request this.
"Given that there appeared to be no immediate resolution in sight I contacted the social worker allocated to the family who provided payment of £35 per person and a food parcel."
Another vulnerable man, suffering from significant mental health issues, found himself with no funds and no food, despite being on complex medication that needed to be taken with food.
He was unable to access emergency payments and was later provided a food parcel by Asylum Link Merseyside.
Mr Roberts highlighted how asylum seekers in contact with the charity, which recently received the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, had made valuable contributions to the community.
The charity has organised litter picks on Crosby beach, which cleared 15 bags of plastic, and tree planting sessions.
Nationally, the charity Positive Action in Housing said on May 28 the Home Office estimated around a third of around 55,000 asylum seekers using the cards had experienced problems.
A spokeswoman for the Home Office said: "A new service to provide asylum seekers with financial support went live last Monday and we have worked closely to develop customer services processes and plan for a number of eventualities.
"We provided clear advice to asylum seekers that they must activate their new cards prior to the service going live and the vast majority of individuals did so in advance, or have done so since.
“Migrant Help remain available to respond to queries from asylum seekers and anyone experiencing issues can contact the 24/7 hotline.”
Prepaid Financial Services has been contacted for comment.
