In a debate in the House of Commons on Thursday 18 June, Stephen spoke in a debate brought by Dawn Butler on the impact of Covid-19 on BAME communities, arguing for the "No Recourse to Public Funds" (NRPF) restriction to be suspended.
Stephen noted that the Public Health England report released last week highlighted that "people of BAME groups are also more likely than people of white British ethnicity to be born abroad, which means they may face additional barriers in accessing services”. He highlighted the NRPF restrictions on leave to remain as a particular barrier.
The restriction applies to over a million migrants with leave to remain and legally working in the UK - many with children born in the UK, who might be British nationals - from accessing Universal Credit and most benefits.
Stephen said: ‘The welfare safety net is not there for people with no recourse to public funds. That has created a very serious problem of destitution and a huge increase in food bank demand in many parts of the country. The no recourse to public funds restriction must be suspended for the duration of this crisis.’
Stephen paid tribute to organisations in East Ham who are helping, including the Bonny Downs Baptist church and the Bonny Downs Community Association; the Masjid Ibrahim mosque; the Malayalee Association of the UK; the London Tamil Sangam; and Councillor Lakmini Shah.