On Monday 11 May, in a general debate on COVID-19 in the House of Commons, Stephen called for the suspension of the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition for families for the duration of the coronavirus outbreak.
Stephen highlighted how families with leave to remain but with No Recourse to Public Funds but are barred from accessing mainstream welfare benefits, such as Universal Credit. Unable to work in the current pandemic, many are not eligible for the job retention or the self-employment schemes. Many are now facing serious financial hardship and food poverty. Some who should self-isolate because they have symptoms, have no choice but to work, endangering others.
Last week, the High Court heard the case of an 8-year-old boy and his migrant mother with NRPF. The Court ruled the policy denying families like his access to the welfare safety net unlawful, and that it breaches Article 3 of the ECHR, which prohibits inhuman and degrading treatment.
Stephen commented after the debate yesterday: “For the duration of this crisis – on moral grounds, and on public health grounds – the No Recourse to Public Funds condition must be suspended. Ministers have consistently said that the issue is under review, but swift action is needed.”
The Home Office will not say how many have the NRPF restriction in the UK. However, a Children’s Society report released last week, drawing from Oxford University’s Migration Observatory, estimated the figure of over a million people with leave to remain but no recourse to public funds, including at least 100,000 children.
There is a particularly large number of those with the NRPF status in Newham. Requests for NRPF support to Newham Council have increased by 300% during the outbreak.