Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

No Recourse to Public Funds: Covid-19

Monday 8 February 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial support for people with no recourse to public funds includes measures like the coronavirus job retention scheme and statutory sick pay.
  • Government evidence at the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee highlighted issues with the Home Office's policies during the pandemic.
  • Local authorities have access to over 8 billion for support, though clarity on NRPF policies remains an issue.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Ian Byrne Lab Liverpool West Derby
Immigration Benefits & Welfare
Context

Since the start of the covid-19 lockdown in January 2021, there has been concern about the support provided by the government to people who have no recourse to public funds. The questioner references evidence heard at the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee.

Question

What support her Department has provided to people with no recourse to public funds since the start of the covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021?

Answer from Chris Philp

The Government remain committed to supporting everyone through this pandemic. Many of the wide-ranging covid-19 measures the Government have put in place are available to migrants with NRPF, including the coronavirus job retention scheme, statutory sick pay and discretionary hardship payments for those who have to self-isolate. In addition, migrants with leave under family and human rights routes can also apply to have the NRPF condition lifted, something that is successful now in 85% of cases, in just 17 days.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about detailed support measures for individuals with no recourse to public funds was not fully addressed. The answer focused more on general commitments and some statistics without providing a comprehensive update.

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Q2 Ian Byrne Lab Liverpool West Derby
Immigration Housing Benefits & Welfare
Context

The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee heard evidence indicating that the unwillingness of the Home Office to suspend no recourse to public funds and a lack of clarity over support have had devastating consequences during the pandemic. The questioner is concerned about policy opacity around section 4 eligibility for individuals with no recourse to public funds.

Question

After hearing evidence at the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee on homelessness, I know that the unwillingness of the Home Office to suspend no recourse to public funds and a lack of clarity over support have had devastating consequences during this pandemic for many. Despite being over a month into this lockdown, policy is still opaque around section 4 eligibility for individuals with no recourse to public funds. Will the Minister provide an update on this as a matter of urgency?

Answer from Chris Philp

There is absolute clarity about the benefits. I have mentioned things like the coronavirus job retention scheme already, and I have mentioned how people on family and human rights routes can get the NRPF condition lifted, but I did not mention the over £8 billion available via local authorities for NRPF-eligible migrants to apply for. In addition, the hon. Member asked about section 4: people on section 4 support do get accommodation provided by the Home Office. We currently now have, I think, about 61,000 people in accommodation. That is up from about 48,000 before the pandemic, precisely because we are looking after the people most in need.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask for an urgent update on section 4 eligibility and support was not fully addressed, as the answer provided general information but did not give a concrete update on these policies.

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