No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF)
No recourse to public funds (NRPF) refers to destitute people from abroad who are subject to immigration control and have no entitlement to welfare benefits, Home Office support for asylum seekers or public housing.
All local authorities in the UK have a duty to advise people who have NRPF on their personal circumstances and to assist them in finding a solution to their destitution. In limited circumstances, councils can provide care services including accommodation and financial support.
arc4 has recently completed work with a large City Council to support them to deal with households that present without recourse to public funds. We understand that this is a growing issue and without Government Commitment, the cost of dealing with it is increasingly presenting a burden on voluntary and public sectors and can be a legal minefield
However, we also understand how tragic these cases can be and how difficult it can be for staff to deal with households, many of whom are fleeing domestic violence.During the financial year2007/08, at least £33.4 million was spent by 48 local authorities supporting individuals and families who have no recourse to public funds. This is an increase of 8% on expenditure incurred in the financial year 2006/07. At least 3910 individuals were being supported by 48 local authorities during the financial year 2007/08. This is an increase of 3.6% on the figures for the financial year 2006/07.
Local authorities receive no funding for these costs from central government. These costs are met from local council taxpayers. These figures are concerning for local authorities, particularly because costs appear to be increasing.
We can offer support to establish practical procedures to enable voluntary and public sectors to work together to develop protocols for dealing with households that present in a fair and humane way. This also establishes responsibilities and joins up resources to provide a complete package for individuals. We can advise on how to support households that moves them through the immigration system quickly. We offer a customised training programme, which can underpin and support the ability and need to bring together multi agency groups, work within existing DV strategies and approaches. The training can also develop the capacity of housing options/choices teams who face a range of new demands within a new service.
We have some innovative solutions for funding, looking at how supporting people and Registered Social Landlords can support household and minimise the cost to the public purse.
We offer training, advice and support throughout the process and have leading experts working with us.
If you are interested in finding out more then contact Helen Brzozowski.