Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the savings to (a) local councils and (b) other public bodies of ending No Recourse to Public Funds restrictions on parents of dependent children.

It is a well-established principle that migrants coming to the UK should be able to maintain and support themselves and their families without creating a burden on the welfare system. That is the purpose of the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition and there are no plans to remove that condition.

Some temporary migrants are granted access to public funds, and in recognition of the fact that some individuals may need support despite being subject to an NRPF condition, safeguards exist.

Local authorities may also provide basic safety net support, regardless of immigration status, if it is established either that there is a risk to the wellbeing of a child or there is a genuine care need that does not arise solely from destitution, for example, where a person has community care needs or serious health problems.  Support provided to a child by local authorities is not dependent on the immigration status of the child or their parent(s).