Mayors and councillors have called on the federal government to financially support asylum seekers.

Representatives of 17 councils have produced a joint resolution condemning recent cuts to support payments for asylum seekers here on bridging visas, scrapping status resolution support services (SRSS) for several thousand asylum seekers.

SRSS had provided a payment of about 89 per cent of Newstart – around $35 a day – as well as case management support and access to trauma and torture counselling services.

“Over 4,000 children nationally could be affected by the changes and we call upon the Australian government to adhere to its national and international obligations in accordance with the charter of human rights,” the draft statement says.

“We want the Australian government to reverse the recent assessment changes to the status resolution support services (SRSS) program and provide adequate income and case management support for people seeking asylum while they seek sustainable employment.”

Several weeks will be spent gathering official endorsements from other councils before the statement is delivered to the federal government.