The Federal Government has been accused of leaving East Timorese asylum seekers to starve by cutting off their welfare payments while they wait to hear if they are allowed to stay in Australia.

About 85 East Timorese people living in the Northern Territory have been told they do not qualify for refugee status and must leave, despite some having lived in Australia for more than a decade. Nineteen of those have already had their welfare payments stopped while they appeal directly to the immigration minister.

The Federal Member for Lingiari, Warren Snowdon, says charities will soon be unable to provide for their needs.

"What the government has done is cut them off the support," he said. "Now if you take people's support away and if they're unemployed, how are they supposed to survive? You are putting them out to to starve."