The Children’s Society responds to the Work and Pensions Committee report on children in poverty and no recourse to public funds

Responding to the Work and Pensions Committee report on children in poverty: no recourse to public funds, Azmina Siddique, Policy and Impact Manager at The Children’s Society, said:

“Through our research and direct work with families with no recourse to public funds we know how this condition leaves so many in desperate situations and often unable to provide a safe and warm home or feed and clothe their children.

“While we still want the Government to end the NRPF policy completely or at least not apply it to families with children under 18, we support in particular the committee’s recommendation to extend Child Benefit to all British children, irrespective of their parents’ immigration status.

“We also welcome the call for discretionary crisis support, such as local welfare assistance schemes, to be accessible for people with NRPF and greater clarity on the data related to the number of families with NRPF. It’s currently impossible for the Government and local authorities to be able to cost and plan to support NRPF families so this change would make a huge difference to these families often trapped in extreme poverty. We hope the government takes on board the committee’s recommendations.”