The No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition needs to
be suspended by government so that all vulnerable individuals are
entitled to receive support during the coronavirus crisis,
councils urge today.
The Local Government Association says that high numbers of
people with NRPF – a condition government places on some
individuals as a result of their immigration status, removing
access to welfare benefits – have been approaching councils for
support during the pandemic following, for example, loss of
employment.
The LGA, which represents councils, wants to work with
government and the current review led by Dame Louise Casey to
provide greater clarity and funding for councils’
responsibilities for all those who are destitute and homeless
because of their migration status.
It says a suspension of the NRPF condition would enable
people to access welfare benefits, which could prevent them from
becoming homeless.
Since the coronavirus outbreak, councils have been given
emergency funding to meet a range of cost pressures arising,
including supporting people with NRPF. However, this funding will
not cover the costs of preventing people with NRPF who were
sleeping rough from returning to the streets.
Councils also do not receive any specific funding from
central government to support people with NRPF. Latest data for
2018/19 showed that 59 councils were spending £47.5 million a
year on NRPF service provision, however this was before the
coronavirus crisis.
Thanks to a monumental effort by councils, the overwhelming
majority – nearly 15,000 – of rough sleepers and people in
high-risk accommodation have been found emergency accommodation
to protect them during the coronavirus outbreak.
Councils want to take this opportunity to change the lives
of our most vulnerable residents and are working up plans to
support people to move on from emergency accommodation.
For that to happen, the LGA said greater clarity is needed
from government on what additional practical support will be
available to councils to help them move rough sleepers out of
hotels and temporary accommodation and into housing, when the
current ‘Everyone In’ policy, where all people sleeping rough are
placed in emergency accommodation, comes to an end.
It says suspending NRPF would also allow councils to
support this group of people directly into accommodation using
the rough sleeping funding recently allocated by government,
which legally cannot be used to support people with NRPF, and to
enable them to protect the public health of everyone in the
community during future outbreaks.
Cllr David Renard, the LGA’s housing spokesman,
said:
“Councils have been doing everything they can to support
all groups facing homelessness and help protect them from
coronavirus. Councils are now planning their next steps in
supporting people to move on from emergency accommodation. This
needs to include clarity and funding for those who are destitute
and homeless because of their migration status.
“As the economy recovers, local outbreaks may mean there
still may be a need to be able to access safe and suitable
accommodation and financial support to allow for self-isolation,
particularly for single adults without care needs who are not
usually eligible for social services’ support.
“This could be enabled by a temporary removal of the NRPF
condition which would reduce public health risks and pressures on
homelessness services by enabling vulnerable people to access
welfare benefits.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
-
Government places the no recourse to public funds (NRPF)
condition as a result of immigration status which removes
access to welfare benefits. Councils do have statutory duties
to provide individuals with care needs or families with NRPF
with housing and/or financial support in order to prevent
homelessness or destitution.
-
Costs to councils are outlined in the annual report from the NRPF
Network, alongside councils’ responsibilities for
those with NRPF outside their ongoing statutory
responsibilities during the current pandemic.
