EDM 1317: Impact of No Recourse to Public Funds on child poverty

That this House recognises the urgent need for child poverty measures to include all children living in the UK, regardless of immigration status; notes with concern that an estimated 1.5 million children in families with migrant parents live in poverty, accounting for more than a third of the total number of children living in relative poverty according to new analysis by the Institute of Public Policy Research; further notes that twice the proportion of children in families with foreign-born parents are living in poverty compared to other children, 46% compared to 25%; also notes that an estimated 507,064 children had No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) as a condition of their visa at the end of 2023; notes that NRPF restrictions prevent families from accessing essential benefits including Child Benefit, leaving many in severe financial distress; highlights that the long-term impact of poverty on children’s health, education, and wellbeing is well-documented; further notes that continuing to exclude children in migrant households from child poverty measures weakens the effectiveness of wider poverty reduction efforts; and calls on the Government to ensure that all legislative and policy initiatives aimed at tackling child poverty fully consider and address the needs of children affected by NRPF.