Everyone needs access to a safety net when times get tough

Ending NRPF

We all need support when times are tough. But many families and others experiencing poverty cannot access government support because of their immigration status. This policy is called No Recourse to Public Funds and it denies people living and working in our community essential help from the government – often resulting in homelessness and destitution. 

We can end this inhumane immigration status, by calling on local and national governments to scrap this policy and prevent homelessness and alleviate child poverty.  

Our strategy

We work to ensure that families are not left struggling by their NRPF status. We do this by:

• Working with people lived experience to respond to their needs and campaign on this basis.
• Educating and training councils, hospitals, universities and other institutions in our society about the impact of NRPF.
• Lobbying against NRPF policies locally and nationally, as part of wider networks. 
• Fighting to allow for exemptions to NRPF policies in local authorities, especially where they impact families with children. 

Our Successes so far

Our work on NRPF is just beginning, but we have already started taking action:

• Lewisham Council has agreed to remove their embedded Home Office worker 
• Everyone in Lewisham is entitled to Free School Meals, regardless of immigration status  
• We provided training for Lewisham Council on how to take a empathetic response when supporting people who have NRPF status.
• We have committed to regularly attending national network spaces on NRPF and its impact.
• Lewisham Council has refused to comply with Home Office policy of sharing data on rough sleepers.
• We’re supporting national campaigns on increasing childcare hours for people on NRPF and providing child benefit for people with NRPF provision.
• We’re fighting for digital access for everyone in temporary accommodation, many of whom have no recourse to public funds.