Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee

Seventh Report - Children in poverty: No recourse to public funds

Work and Pensions Committee HC 603 Published 14 April 2022
Report Status
Government responded
Conclusions & Recommendations
22 items (14 recs)
Government Response
AI assessment · 22 of 22 classified
Accepted 3
Accepted in Part 3
Acknowledged 9
Deferred 1
Rejected 6
Government response
First Special Report - Children in poverty: No recourse to public funds: Government Response · published 13 Jun 2022
Read the government response ↗ Response on the Index
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Recommendations & Conclusions

6 items
8 Conclusion Rejected
Para 29

The levels of deprivation children in poverty endure as a result of their parents being...

Conclusion
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 … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government has no plans to shorten the maximum period of time spent subject to NRPF for families with children, as those migrating to the UK are generally expected to maintain and support themselves and any accompanying family without reliance on the UK’s welfare system.
Department for Work and Pensions
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9 Recommendation Rejected
Para 30

We recommend the Government significantly reduces the period for which children may be subjected to...

Recommendation
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 Summary
The government does not plan to shorten the maximum period of time spent subject to NRPF for families with children, stating those migrating to the UK are generally expected to maintain and support themselves and any accompanying family without reliance on the UK’s welfare system.
Department for Work and Pensions
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10 Recommendation Rejected
Para 35

Most of those who gave evidence were keen to see an end to the no...

Recommendation
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 … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government does not accept the recommendation to extend Child Benefit to all British children irrespective of their parents’ immigration status, arguing that existing provisions cover eligible families and that those without indefinite leave to remain should be able to support themselves.
Department for Work and Pensions
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16 Recommendation Rejected
Para 60

We are pleased to hear that the Government’s NRPF forum is regularly receiving feedback on...

Recommendation
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 … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government will not publish the minutes of the NRPF Forum meetings, but minutes and action logs are shared with members.
Department for Work and Pensions
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19 Conclusion Rejected

Thousands of families with NRPF are supported by local authorities under Section 17 every year,...

Conclusion
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 … Read more
Government Response Summary
The Home Office does not plan to carry out a cost-benefit analysis on NRPF because it would not be feasible to do so meaningfully.
Department for Work and Pensions
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20 Recommendation Rejected
Para 71

We are concerned that it is not cost effective for local authorities to operate their...

Recommendation
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 … Read more
Government Response Summary
The Home Office does not plan to carry out a cost-benefit analysis on NRPF because it would not be feasible to do so meaningfully due to practicalities around estimating the total population subject to NRPF present in the UK at any one time.
Department for Work and Pensions
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