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Asylum-seeking families and adults who should have become the responsibility of the National Asylum Support Service four years ago but remain supported by councils could be left destitute once the European Union opens its doors to 10 more Eastern European countries on 1 May, writes Lauren Revans.

From that date, anyone from the 10 accession countries who had been awaiting a decision on their asylum application will cease to be an asylum seeker, meaning councils will no longer be able to claim money back from the Home Office for supporting them.

Kent social services director Peter Gilroy said his council alone had 230 asylum seeking adults and families who originated from the 10 accession countries who would fall into this category. They are among almost 3,000 asylum seekers living in the county who are awaiting decisions on their applications but who Nass has said it cannot take responsibility for until 2005 due to lack of capacity.

Gilroy said that, given the removal in July 2002 of the concession allowing asylum seekers to work after six months, few would be in employment. However, under proposals for nationals of new member states, they would not be entitled to benefits.

If this situation was combined with the sudden removal of support from the council, the former asylum seekers could become homeless and penniless overnight, he warned.

Gilroy, who is also the Association of Directors of Social Services spokesperson on asylum seekers, urged the government to look again at the problem and fund a transitionary period during which councils could continue to claim back money for supporting the new EU nationals while they looked for work.

He predicted that a lot of London councils would find themselves in a similar situation and be faced with a difficult choice come 2 May unless changes were made.

The Home Office said it would make an announcement shortly on the package of measures to ensure the benefits system was not exploited and would then make information available to local authorities about the implications.

The 10 countries joining the EU are Cyprus, Latvia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Slovenia, Estonia, Malta, Hungary and Poland.

There are no central figures available for the number of asylum seekers from the 10 countries who are currently being supported by councils or Nass.