Recommendation 22

The changes set out in the Earned Settlement consultation will place lower earning families on longer routes to settlement. This will very likely increase child poverty, and the harms resulting from child poverty. The children of care workers, who are poorly paid and would face a 15-year route to settlement, are a group that would be particularly vulnerable. Increasing 62 poverty in immigrant families is likely to increase costs for local authorities and increase the indirect costs that arise from children growing up in poverty. We heard evidence that very often supporting destitute families with No Recourse to Public Funds where there is a statutory child protection duty leads to significant costs for local councils. We agree with the Home Secretary that it is generally reasonable to expect economic migrants to be able to support themselves and their families. However, if the Government proceeds with these reforms it must be prepared for the eventuality that immigrants will stay in country despite experiencing poverty and take action to mitigate the impact this will have on children. (Conclusion, Paragraph 82)