Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to review (a) the No Recourse to Public Funds policy and (b) the effect of that policy on BAME people during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government has provided councils with £6.4 billion to support their communities through this pandemic. This includes £4.6 billion in un-ringfenced funding, £1.1 billion from the Infection Control Fund, £300 million to support Test and Trace as well as funding allocated to councils from the new Local Alert Level system and a number of grants to support communities and vulnerable people

The Government has also provided additional funding for the devolved administrations under the Barnett formula as part of the wider government response. Funding provided to local authorities under the Covid-19 emergency response will be paid through a grant that is not ring-fenced, recognising that local authorities are best placed to decide how this funding is spent.

The assistance being given under the Coronavirus Job?Retention Scheme and the Self-employed Income Support Scheme are not classed as public funds and are available to all those in work or self-employment respectively, including those with NRPF status and those on?zero-hour?contracts.

The Home Office has published its policy equality statement on the impact of the No Recourse to Public Fund (NRPF) policy on migrants on the 10-year human rights route. ?It can be found at:?https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-change-of-conditions-of-leave-to-allow-access-to-public-funds-if-your-circumstances-change.

The Home Office continues to keep the impact of the pandemic under review and will make changes should these be necessary and appropriate.