Overview
The ‘Understanding Migrant Destitution’ study, undertaken by the GEM team based at the University of Oxford's Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS) and funded by abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, looked at the impact of the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) policy on UK local authorities, in the financial year 2021-22.
The report identifies a lack of joined-up policymaking between central and local government alongside rapidly increasing numbers of people subject to the NRPF policy, which restricts access to most mainstream benefits such as Universal Credit, housing benefit and child tax credit. At the end of 2022, almost 2.6 million people living in the UK held visas with the ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF) condition – an increase of over 1 million in just two years. The NRPF condition is attached to most visa types for non-UK citizens immigrating to the UK, and most of these people will not be economically vulnerable. But for the small minority who are, the lack of a welfare safety net places them at a high risk of destitution.
Key findings
In 2021/22, 142 UK local authorities reported providing financial support to 10,640 destitute migrant people, who are excluded from the mainstream welfare safety net due to their immigration status. This number includes 1,658 vulnerable adults, 3,108 families and 5,831 children.
This data provides the first UK wide baseline indication of the supported vulnerable, destitute migrant population, though it is likely to be a significant underestimate.
If replicated for all UK local authorities, we estimate that support was provided to c.18,000 people in 2021/2022, including 5,400 families, 10,500 children and 2,700 vulnerable adults and at an estimated annual cost of £102 million for local authorities.
The estimated numbers of families supported in England and Wales have risen by over 150% since 2012/13, whilst estimated costs for local authorities supporting families have increased by almost 230% at a time when many councils are under severe financial strain, in particular within social services and with councils receiving no dedicated funding for this support.
The number and range of people impacted is likely to grow as a consequence of recent policy changes including the Illegal Migration Act as well as the increasing numbers of people subject to the ‘no recourse to public funds’ visa condition, restricting access to mainstream benefits. Almost 2.6 million people living in the UK at the end of 2022 held visas with the ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF) condition - this represents an increase of over 1 million in just two years.
Our research found that cases were drawn from across the immigration system, including people with leave to remain. Since Brexit, there has been a sharp increase in the number of European nationals impacted.
Research in local authority areas found significant gaps in access to this ‘parallel safety net’ provided by local authorities, including destitute people assessed as not meeting the high social care threshold and being refused support, people who are unaware they can access social care support and people too worried about the potential ramifications on their immigration status to present at social care.
In 2015, our research described local authority support for destitute migrant families as a ‘parallel welfare safety net’, albeit highly conditional and providing patchy and inconsistent support. In 2024, we find that this parallel welfare system is dysfunctional and unable to provide adequate support for the increasing numbers of people facing destitution and unable to access the mainstream welfare system. Whilst there are some important pockets of good practice to learn from, systemically the system is patchy and does not meet the scale of need.
further reading