As part of their inquiry into children living in poverty the Work and Pensions Committee has put out a call for evidence which specifically focuses on the impact of no recourse to public funds (NRPF) on child poverty. They are looking for as many organisations and individuals as possible to put in evidence. This is a fantastic opportunity to shine a light on this very serious issue and the APPG will be keeping a close eye on the inquiry and helping in any way we can.

The committee is specifically looking for answers around: 

  • Approximately how many children in the UK live in households that have NRPF? What are the challenges involved in estimating this accurately?
  • Is it possible to determine how many children who live in households with NRPF are British citizens?
  • How many children in the UK are undocumented or have an insecure immigration status?
  • What proportion of children with NRPF are living in poverty? How does this compare to children whose families do have access to public funds?
  • What impact has the pandemic had on children with NRPF? Has the lifting of restrictions made any difference?
  • What other financial support from the Government is available for families with NRPF who are facing financial hardship? How effective is this support?
    • How have families with NRPF benefited from the new support that the Government introduced in response to the pandemic, such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the COVID Local Support Grant?
    • The Government has extended eligibility for free school meals to some categories of children with NRPF on a temporary basis. What has been the impact of this policy?
  • What role do other bodies, such as local authorities and third sector organisations, play in supporting children with NRPF?
    • What impact has the pandemic had on these organisations’ capacity to support children with NRPF?
  • People with leave to remain on family or human rights grounds can apply to have the NRPF condition lifted in some circumstances. How effective has this measure been at preventing families from falling into serious hardship?

More information on the inquiry can be found here.

The deadline for submitting evidence is 30 September 2021.