Seventh Report - Children in poverty: No recourse to public funds
Select Committee
Work and Pensions Committee
HC 603
14 April 2022
Recommendations
3 results
5
Acknowledged
Para 24
We are pleased that the Government is contemplating and planning to consult on whether all...
Recommendation
We are pleased that the Government is contemplating and planning to consult on whether all children from families with NRPF should have access to the two- year-old entitlement. We believe that parents with NRPF have been prevented from working as …
Read more
Government Response Summary
The government noted the consultation on extending the two-year-old entitlement to children from families with NRPF, stating it opened on 25 March 2022 and closed on 20 May 2022, but does not explicitly commit to extending the entitlement.
Department for Work and Pensions
View Details
13
Acknowledged
We recommend the Home Office collect and publish data on the number of people with...
Recommendation
We recommend the Home Office collect and publish data on the number of people with NRPF attached to their limited leave to remain in the UK. The Home Office should also invest time and resource into establishing the number of …
Read more
Government Response Summary
The Home Office is committed to continuing to improve the data that is published on NRPF and will further explore data availability on NRPF and on migrant poverty, including on children in poverty, while recognising the challenges posed in identifying and gathering the relevant data.
Department for Work and Pensions
View Details
22
Acknowledged
We recommend the Government provide additional support to local authorities in areas with large NRPF...
Recommendation
We recommend the Government provide additional support to local authorities in areas with large NRPF populations through direct and targeted funding. We further recommend the Government consider reclassifying discretionary welfare payments, so they are excluded from the ‘public funds’ definition …
Read more
Government Response Summary
The government stated its commitment to protecting vulnerable people and ensured support has been available to those with NRPF, highlighting COVID-19 measures, funding to local authorities, and the Energy Rebate Scheme, and that the Home Office supports local authorities in understanding their duties.
Department for Work and Pensions
View Details
Conclusions (6) Observations and findings — click to expand
1
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Para 14
We are very pleased that the Government has now permanently extended free school meal eligibility to children from all families with NRPF. We heard repeatedly from parents and organisations about the positive impact this would have on children in poverty, their long-term prospects and ability to contribute to the UK.
Government Response Summary
The Government thanks the Committee for the time and effort invested in conducting an inquiry into child poverty and publishing the ‘Children in poverty: No recourse to public funds report’.
3
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Para 20
We heard worrying evidence about the impact of the NRPF condition on survivors of domestic violence, including children. We are pleased that the Government has launched the Support for Migrant Victims Scheme pilot, in addition to the support offered through the Destitution Domestic Violence Concession. We are, however, concerned the …
Government Response Summary
The government stated its commitment to supporting all victims of domestic abuse and providing support through the Destitute Domestic Violence Concession and the Support for Migrant Victims pilot, and that £1.4 million will be provided in 2022-23 to continue to fund support for migrant victims of domestic abuse.
7
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Para 27
We welcome this recognition from the Government that 10 years is an excessively long period for a young person to wait for indefinite leave to remain, and access to public funds, and that five years is a more appropriate period.
Government Response Summary
The Home Office has recently introduced Appendix Private Life to the Immigration Rules, bringing the concession on early settlement introduced on 20 October 2021 into the Immigration Rules.
12
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Para 46
The Home Office does not collect sufficient data on the number of families with NRPF. Whilst we appreciate that the Home Office is attempting to improve its data collection, NRPF is not a new policy and it is shocking that the Government is unable to provide Parliament with an estimate …
Government Response Summary
The Home Office is committed to continuing to improve the data that is published on NRPF and will explore further data availability on NRPF and on migrant poverty, including on children in poverty, while recognizing the challenges posed in identifying and gathering the relevant data.
14
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Para 52
We are pleased that the Home Office has changed its policy to prevent those on the 5 year route from being automatically transferred to the 10 year route in the event of a successful change of condition application. However, this is only for families who are no longer accessing public …
Government Response Summary
The Home Office has suspended the practice of moving an applicant that has received recourse to public funds off the five-year route to settlement, but the ability for an applicant to be able to support themselves without recourse to public funds is a key strand of the government’s NRPF policy, and will be assessed at the next application for leave to remain.
21
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Para 74
Discretionary welfare funds are a public fund and therefore largely inaccessible to people with NRPF, however, the guidance the Government provides to local authorities has caused confusion and many families have not received additional support.
Government Response Summary
The government stated its commitment to protecting vulnerable people and ensured support has been available to those with NRPF, highlighting COVID-19 measures, funding to local authorities, and the Energy Rebate Scheme, and that the Home Office supports local authorities in understanding their duties.