Marginalising Black communities – the devastating effects of No Recourse to Public Funds on families in the UK
Year upon year, this Government continues with unfair and unjust policies that end up causing immense harm to Black people. Even as an entire generation is still reeling from the terrible effects of the Windrush scandal, No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) continues to rob Black and minoritised communities of their right to a safe and dignified life.
NRPF is a policy that stops people from accessing the most mainstream benefits of the welfare system to get support when they need it the most. It means that people are restricted from accessing the most basic things that are needed to live; adequate housing, food, and access to certain aspects of healthcare aren’t available to them. This leads to families and individuals being forced into destitution, debt and poverty. Within the immense harm cause by this policy, a particular trend trend continues to come up – these policies indirectly discriminate against people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds.
A study from the Unity Project showed that British children in this demographic were some of the worst hit by these policies - they’re not even able to access the free school meals that are available to all other British children. Why should any child go hungry simply because they don’t have the right papers? And what does it say about the UK that Black British children are particularly being excluded from free school meals?
We know that these issues only got worse during the pandemic; we saw this both from detailed reports and from listening to the stories of the people we work with. Our WINGs group exists to support mothers with young children to build friendships, connections and communities. Although this Government claims that we should be working to build back better after the pandemic, members of the group are still seeing the effects of a “hypocritical and racist system” through being denied basic rights through No Recourse to public funds.
It’s absolutely clear: there needs to be an end to NRPF. And at Praxis, we are working with people with lived experience of the condition to make that happen.
The NRPF Action Group was created so that those we support can come together, make their voices heard and fight to abolish the policies. Co-written with the group, we created the “Living with Dignity” campaign and manifesto, where they outlined exactly what needs to change from this Government so they can live with humanity and respect.
“The majority of us have potential. Do not limit us by giving us NRPF. We need something to keep... going. Not something that will affect us and jeopardise the talent that we have.”
Shakira is a member of our NRPF Action Group. A Nigerian mother of two, she has had the NRPF condition for over 6 years. Despite coming to the UK over 15 years ago with a degree in English Language and Literature and the desire to build a new life, the systematic conditions applied to her through NRPF have made her unable to do this. Even after her son was diagnosed with autism, she couldn’t access carer’s allowance; she isn’t even able to get free school meals for her daughter. Although we’ve now supported her to get on the 10 year route to settlement, the NRPF condition continues to stop her accessing basic living necessities for her family.
“Children who are actually born in the country shouldn’t suffer. Whatever affects the parents also effects the children.”
We believe that no child in the UK should suffer. Since we first supported her and she learned more about the widespread effects of NRPF, she says she has gained the confidence and joined our NRPF group to speak out against it. As well as contributing to the Living with Dignity manifesto, she joined us as a representative at an All Party Parliamentary Group this year speaking on No Recourse to Public Funds and its connection to forced poverty and destitution.
Throughout all of the challenges she faces living in the current hostile environment, she continues to fight for the rights of everyone affected by NRPF. And for anyone who wants to help, she has one piece of advice:
“It’s a cause that we all need to fight together. We need to fight against it. It’s not fair, not only on the parents but children as well.”
The Anti-Refugee Bill making its way through Parliament will lead to NRPF being expanded and pushing more people into poverty and destitution.
Make your voice heard and join us and others in our calls for it to be scrapped.
