Select committee: Work and Pensions Committee

Conclusion 1

Seventh Report - Children in poverty: No recourse to public funds Published 14 Apr 2022 Paragraph 14 Addressed to Department for Work and Pensions
Conclusion (the committee's words)
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.

From: Work and Pensions Committee, Seventh Report - Children in poverty: No recourse to public funds (HC 603), paragraph 14, 14 April 2022

Government response

The government responded to the whole report on 13 June 2022 (deadline 14 June 2022).

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government responds to each recommendation, taking forward some reviews, data work and funding while stating "there are no plans to shorten the maximum period of time spent subject to NRPF for families with children" and declining several others.

  • On domestic abuse, it will provide £1.4 million in 2022–23 to continue funding support for migrant victims, with the independent evaluation of the pilot due to report in Summer 2022.
  • The Department for Work and Pensions "will review its guidance and communications" for people with an NRPF condition and will write to the Committee within three months on the outcome.
  • The Home Office does not plan to carry out a cost-benefit analysis on NRPF, saying it "would not be feasible to do so meaningfully", and does not plan to publish the NRPF Forum minutes.
  • On data, the Home Office is "committed to further explore data availability" on NRPF and migrant poverty, while recognising the challenges of identifying and gathering the relevant data.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error