Thousands of people facing poverty this winter with no access to support, warn 59 charities
The Rt Hon Suella Braverman KC MP
Secretary of State for the Home Department
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
With copy to:
- The Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer
- The Rt Hon Mel Stride MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Dear Home Secretary,
Re: the impact of the cost of living crisis on people affected by No Recourse to Public Funds
As inflation hits a 41-year high, we write to draw your attention to the situation of those facing the cost of living crisis without access to the support systems designed to help those most in need.
Despite living and working in our communities, often for years, many people are denied access to the public safety net by their immigration status due to the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) policy. The much-needed support that the UK Government has distributed since the start of the cost of living crisis has largely by-passed the hundreds of thousands of migrant families struggling to make ends meet – even if they are working and paying taxes. Thousands of UK-born residents and UK nationals, including children, are also affected by these rules as NRPF restrictions on individuals impact the wider household.
We note the additional support measures announced in the Autumn Statement, but they will do little for those who are cut off from the public safety net by their immigration status, whether as a condition of their leave to remain or because their status has not yet been resolved. Uprated benefits are vital, but will be of no help to those who are denied access to them. What’s more, additional cost of living support for those who need it the most has once again been placed out of reach because it is all tied to access to benefits. While some of those affected by NRPF restrictions may be able to get limited support – for example asylum seekers accessing Asylum Support via the Home Office, or a very limited number of individuals and families accessing local authority support through statutory duties, neither of these have been similarly uprated to take account of rising prices.
As a group of 59 charities, organisations and trades unions working with and advocating for the rights of migrant communities across the UK, we know that many are already at breaking point, going hungry, unable to feed their children and falling into debt just to meet their essential living costs. We are deeply concerned that this winter will see an entirely avoidable spike in the number of people left destitute or even homeless.
Although the NRPF policy has been maintained under successive governments, the unprecedented need for support arising firstly from the pandemic and now the cost of living crisis presents a critical opportunity for reform.
No household should be barred from vital support when it’s needed. Instead of pursuing policies that can push people into destitution and onto the streets, we urge you to take immediate steps to ensure that all households are included in cost of living support schemes and to ultimately abolish the use of No Recourse to Public Funds, which excludes people from the safety net.
Yours faithfully,
Sally Daghlian OBE, CEO, Praxis
Polly Neate, CEO, Shelter
Graeme Cooke, Director of Policy, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Kate Bell, Head of Department, Rights, International, Social and Economic, TUC
Matt Downie, CEO, Crisis
Paul Streets OBE, CEO, Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales
Mark Russell, Chief Executive, The Children’s Society
Dr Halima Begum, CEO, Runnymede Trust
Enver Solomon, CEO, Refugee Council
Paola Uccellari, Interim CEO, Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI)
Bridget Young, Director, NACCOM
Denise McDowell, CEO, Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit
Abi Brunswick, Director, Project 17
Caz Hattam, Director, The Unity Project
Jo Carter, Interim CEO, Glass Door Homelessness Charity
Rick Henderson, CEO, Homeless Link
Eleanor Brown, Director, CARAS
Chrisann Jarrett MBE, CEO, We Belong
Anna Pincus, Director, Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group
Dr Edie Friedman, Executive Director, The Jewish Council for Racial Equality
James Tullett, CEO, Refugee and Migrant Forum of Essex and London
Stephanie Habib, Project Development Manager, English for Action London
Haringey Migrant Support Centre
Mark Goldring, Director, Asylum Welcome
Nick Harborne, CEO, Refugee Support Group
Nick Watts, Director, Together with Migrant Children
Aderonke Apata, Founder and CEO, African Rainbow Family
Aderonke Apata, Founder and Chair, Manchester Migrant Solidarity
Audrey Broome, Head of Service, Home4U
Eiri Ohtani, Director, Right to Remain
Laurence Guiness, Chief Executive, The Childhood Trust
Kathy Evans, Chief Executive, Children England
Faith Van Horne, Co-Director, Red Letter Christians UK
Katherine Hill, Strategic Project Manager, 4in10 London’s Child Poverty Network
Beth Wilson, CEO, Bristol Refugee Rights
Jess McQuail, Director, Just Fair
Sophie Wickham, Director, Action for Refugees in Lewisham
Sarah Teather, Director, Jesuit Refugee Service UK
Fizza Qureshi, CEO, Migrants’ Rights Network
Paul Hook, Director, Asylum Matters
Imran Bukenya, Community Organiser, Together in Unity
Victoria Winckler, Director, Bevan Foundation
Salma Ravat, Manager, One Roof Leicester
Phil Davis, Director, Hope Projects
Anna Rudd, Interim Director, ASSIST Sheffield
Nazek Ramadan, Director, Migrant Voice
Ros Bragg, Director, Maternity Action
Rebecca Sycamore, Interim CEO, St Mungo’s
James Prestwich, Director of Policy and External Affairs, Chartered Institute of Housing
Tim Naor Hilton, CEO, Refugee Action
Nicolas Hatton, CEO, the3million
Annika Joy, Director – Ending Destitution, Simon Community Scotland / Safe in Scotland
Rita Chadha, Co-Director, Do Good Better
Kerry Smith, CEO, Helen Bamber Foundation
Dr Dora-Olivia Vicol, CEO, Work Rights Centre
Janet Coe, Executive Director, Merseyside Law Centre
Caroline Coombs, Director, Reunite Families UK
Grey Collier, Advocacy Director, Liberty
Celia Sands, CEO, South London Refugee Association