In a meeting of the Liaison Committee today on 27 May, Stephen questioned Boris Johnson about No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF), securing a promise from the Prime Minister to look again at the policy.
No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) is a condition applied to people staying in the UK with a temporary immigration status. Stephen highlighted a couple in East Ham with two children who were being forced into “destitution” as a result of NRPF.
However, Johnson appeared not to be familiar with the policy when questioned, asking why they were not eligible for benefits like Universal Credit.
Johnson said he would look at how NRPF works: “You’ve raised a very, very important point if a condition of their leave to remain is that they should have no recourse to public funds. I will find out how many there are in that position, and we will see what we can do to help.”
Stephen commented afterwards: “Our social security system should be a safety net that protects people from destitution. But for hundreds of thousands of people who live and work in the UK legally, and for their children, it offers no support at all. In the midst of a global pandemic, with so many people prevented from working through no fault of their own, there is an urgent need for Government action. For two months, Ministers have been promising to act, but we’ve seen no substantial change.
The Prime Minister was clearly surprised to hear that people in this situation can’t claim Universal Credit or other benefits – so I am hopeful that he will now put his foot on the accelerator and offer much needed support to people facing financial hardship.”
Stephen has written to the Prime Minister following the Committee hearing.