The experiences of children living in families with no access to
welfare benefits is the focus of the second part of the Work
and Pensions Committee’s inquiry into children in poverty.
As a condition of their visa, most categories of migrants in the
UK have no recourse to public funds, meaning that they and their
children are unable to claim benefits. Undocumented migrants and
people whose immigration status is insecure are also unable to
claim benefits. The Children’s Society has estimated that more
than one million people have NRPF, including nearly 150,000
children, of whom some are British citizens.
The inquiry will examine how the number of children with NRPF can
be better measured, how many are living in poverty and the
support that is available to families facing financial hardship.
It will also look at the impact of the Covid pandemic on children
with NRPF.
Rt Hon MP, Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee,
said: “The pandemic has brought into sharp focus the plight
of thousands of families who are unable to access financial
support for themselves and their children, despite living and
working legally in the UK. This inquiry will look deeper into the
impact that a lack of access to benefits is having on children in
such families and whether there is more that should be done to
support them.”
The Committee has previously written to the
Prime Minister and the Home Secretary about
the lack of support available during the coronavirus pandemic for
people with NRPF. In a report in June, the Committee also
called for the NRPF
condition to be suspended for the duration of the pandemic.
The first part of the children in poverty inquiry focused on
how child poverty is
measured. A report with recommendations will be published in
the autumn.
Call for evidence
The Committee would like to hear views on
the following questions. The deadline for submissions is Thursday
30 September.
- 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?
o 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?
ENDS
Committee Membership: Rt Hon MP (Lab, East Ham), (Lab, Oldham East and Saddleworth), (Con, West Bromwich West), (Con, Stroud), (Lab,
Bermondsey and Old Southwark), (Lab, Selly Oak), (Con, Amber
Valley), (Con, North Devon),
MP (Con, Runnymede and Weybridge), (SNP, Glasgow South West) and (Con, New Forest West)
