Recommendations & Conclusions
22 items
1
Conclusion
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
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. We would like to thank 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’. We welcomed the opportunity to discuss No Recourse …
Department for Work and Pensions
2
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
We recommend that the Government undertakes research to establish if children in families subject to the NRPF condition are overrepresented in serious case reviews. We are pleased that the Department for Education is enthusiastic about improving the communication between organisations on children’s welfare, neglect, and abuse and ask that the …
Government response. The Department for Education (DfE) welcomes the Committee’s recommendation as an opportunity to strengthen the safeguarding and child protection system. DfE is committed to ensuring that Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 statutory guidance is clear about the responsibility of …
Department for Work and Pensions
3
Conclusion
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
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. The Government is committed to supporting all victims of domestic abuse. Anyone who has suffered domestic abuse must be treated as a victim first and foremost, regardless of immigration status. Support is already provided to migrant victims of domestic abuse …
Department for Work and Pensions
4
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
We recommend the Government ensures the Support for Migrant Victims Scheme is evaluated swiftly and consequential policy decisions are made quickly. The pilot must be fully rolled out or alternative measures put in place immediately to ensure that survivors of domestic abuse, including children, receive support when and where it …
Government response. The Government is committed to supporting all victims of domestic abuse. Anyone who has suffered domestic abuse must be treated as a victim first and foremost, regardless of immigration status. Support is already provided to migrant victims of domestic abuse …
Department for Work and Pensions
5
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
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 much as they can to relieve financial pressures on their …
Government response. In September 2019, the government extended eligibility for this entitlement to 2-year-old children from three groups of families and, in September 2020, extended the entitlement to a fourth group of families with NRPF. The consultation referred to by the Committee …
Department for Work and Pensions
6
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
We recommend that the Department for Education complete its consultation on whether there are any additional groups of children from families with NRPF who are not yet eligible for the two-year entitlement within six months. As the Government Children in poverty: No recourse to public funds 49 creates future childcare …
Government response. In September 2019, the government extended eligibility for this entitlement to 2-year-old children from three groups of families and, in September 2020, extended the entitlement to a fourth group of families with NRPF. The consultation referred to by the Committee …
Department for Work and Pensions
7
Conclusion
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
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. 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. The new rules allow a child born in the UK and who …
Department for Work and Pensions
8
Conclusion
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
The levels of deprivation children in poverty endure as a result of their parents being subject to the NRPF condition should not be allowed to dominate any childhood. Many parents will have NRPF for 10 years—much of a child’s formative years. Given that parents could be without access to child-related …
Government response. As stated in our response to your letter dated 26 January, there are no plans to shorten the maximum period of time spent subject to NRPF for families with children. Those migrating to the UK are generally expected to maintain …
Department for Work and Pensions
9
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
We recommend the Government significantly reduces the period for which children may be subjected to NRPF conditions. Parents with children should be given access to public funds after a maximum period of five years.
Government response. 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. The new rules allow a child born in the UK and who …
Department for Work and Pensions
10
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
Most of those who gave evidence were keen to see an end to the no recourse to public funds condition. But we think the Government is unlikely to change this policy and such a change could result in fewer people bring granted visas to the UK. As an alternative, we …
Government response. British children, by which we mean a child born in the UK, where at least one parent is a British citizen or settled in the UK (such as holding indefinite leave to remain) at the time of the child’s birth, …
Department for Work and Pensions
11
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
We recommend the Department for Work and Pensions improve its guidance and practice on the social security entitlements that people with NRPF already have, in order to increase take up of that support. We ask the Department to write to us within three months explaining what improvements it plans to …
Government response. The Department of Work and Pensions will review its guidance and communications to ensure that it is clear to those with a NRPF condition what they can and cannot access. The Department will write to the Committee within three months …
Department for Work and Pensions
12
Conclusion
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
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. The Home Office is committed to continuing to improve the data that is published on NRPF and has been publishing statistics on ‘Change of Condition (CoC)’ applications in relation to NRPF since July 2020. In the latest publication on CoC …
Department for Work and Pensions
13
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
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 British children affected by NRPF. We recommend the Government use …
Government response. The Home Office is committed to continuing to improve the data that is published on NRPF and has been publishing statistics on ‘Change of Condition (CoC)’ applications in relation to NRPF since July 2020. In the latest publication on CoC …
Department for Work and Pensions
14
Conclusion
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
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. The Home Office has suspended the practice of moving an applicant that has received recourse to public funds following a change of conditions application off the five-year route to settlement at the point a decision is made. Whether the applicant …
Department for Work and Pensions
15
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
We recommend that people on the 5 year route to leave to remain are not moved onto the 10 year route following a successful application for a change of conditions, even if they are still accessing public funds when they apply for settlement. We further recommend that the Home Office …
Government response. The Home Office has suspended the practice of moving an applicant that has received recourse to public funds following a change of conditions application off the five-year route to settlement at the point a decision is made. Whether the applicant …
Department for Work and Pensions
16
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
We are pleased to hear that the Government’s NRPF forum is regularly receiving feedback on the change of conditions process. We recommend that the work of the Government’s NRPF Forum is more transparent and readily available to stakeholders. We ask the Government to publish the number of times the NRPF …
Government response. The NRPF Forum is held on a quarterly basis. The first meeting took place on the 17 March 2021 and the most recent on the 16 March 2022. The forum is administered by the Benefits and NRPF Policy team within …
Department for Work and Pensions
17
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
Many parents told us that without the help of charities they would not have been successful in their change of conditions application. The charities providing this assistance are often small, with limited resources. We recommend the Government fund independent support for change of conditions applications, using the Help to Claim …
Government response. The Home Office already provides support for applicants who are trying to make a change of conditions application. Applicants are able to contact the Home Office to access help. Applicants can get help with completing the online form if they: …
Department for Work and Pensions
18
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
We recommend the Home Office introduces a clear process for applicants to challenge a change of conditions refusal. We recommend the review of the pilot scheme is published alongside a timeline showing when the conclusions from the pilot will be implemented. We also recommend the Home Office improves the data …
Government response. A review of the administrative review pilot is currently being conducted. Once completed later this year we will consider whether the introduction of an administrative review for all change of conditions applications is appropriate. The assessment of the pilot is …
Department for Work and Pensions
19
Conclusion
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
Thousands of families with NRPF are supported by local authorities under Section 17 every year, with costs running into the tens of millions. We are concerned that this indicates that the mechanisms used to support households in poverty with no recourse to public funds does not represent value for money …
Government response. The Home Office does not plan to carry out a cost-benefit analysis on NRPF. It would not be feasible to do so meaningfully, not least for the reasons that we have alluded to previously (i.e. practicalities around estimating the total …
Department for Work and Pensions
20
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
We are concerned that it is not cost effective for local authorities to operate their own alternative welfare system, and that support for families is inconsistent across the UK. We recommend that the Government carry out an analysis of whether it would be more cost effective for families with NRPF …
Government response. The Home Office does not plan to carry out a cost-benefit analysis on NRPF. It would not be feasible to do so meaningfully, not least for the reasons that we have alluded to previously (i.e. practicalities around estimating the total …
Department for Work and Pensions
21
Conclusion
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
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. The Government is committed to protecting vulnerable people and has ensured support has been available to those with NRPF when it has been appropriate to do so. For example, to ensure everyone was supported through COVID-19, many of the wide- …
Department for Work and Pensions
22
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Children in poverty: N…
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 used for NRPF purposes, rather than asking local authorities to …
Government response. The Government is committed to protecting vulnerable people and has ensured support has been available to those with NRPF when it has been appropriate to do so. For example, to ensure everyone was supported through COVID-19, many of the wide-ranging …
Department for Work and Pensions