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Data by region for households with no recourse to public funds supported by councils in the financial year 2020-21.
The 2020-21 data from NRPF Connect has been provided on a regional basis in order to demonstrate cost pressures at a local level and to help inform strategic planning and service development.
The data set for each region will be affected by the number of councils subscribing and whether they are using NRPF Connect across each service area (families, adults with care needs, and/or looked after children and care leavers).
Recording financial information for family and adult households demonstrates that statutory duties are engaged to provide accommodation and/or financial support and will mean that the case is flagged as a priority to the Home Office. When financial information is inputted accurately, councils can use the data report functions to monitor performance, including caseload trends and expenditure. Therefore, the critical figures to note are:
When statutory duties are engaged to provide support to a family or adult with care needs, the council will need to focus efforts on working with the person to identify an appropriate pathway to exit support in order to reduce the duration of time that support may needs to be provided for. To help establish whether this is being achieved, attention needs to be paid to:
Any under-reporting by councils of new households that are financially supported and/ or case closures will, however, contribute to a higher average number of days on support than the national figure.
Overall costs and households supported (as of 31 March 2020)
4 councils using NRPF Connect were supporting 223 households with accommodation and/or financial support at a collective annual cost of £4.8 million.
The 223 households comprised of:
The number of families financially supported over the course of the year increased, from 56 at the end of Q1 to 74 by the year end.
The number of adults financially supported also increased, from 30 at the end of Q1 to 42 by the year end.
Of the 63 family households where immigration status has been recorded:
Of the 42 adult households where immigration status has been recorded:
Referrals (April 2020 – March 2021)
461 households requesting or referred for support were added to the database during the year comprising of:
28% of family households that were referred for support had an asylum claim recorded, 22% had a form of leave to remain that was subject to the NRPF condition, and 22% were EEA nationals or had European residence rights.
52% of adult households that were referred for support were EEA nationals or had European residence rights and 25% had an asylum claim recorded.
Time on support and closure reasons (as of 31 March 2020)
The average number of days that a family household was supported for was 427 days (compared to the national average of 589 days).
The average number of days that an adult household was supported for was 636 days (compared to the national average of 911 days).
A case is classed as ‘unresolved’ where a parent or adult is a non-EEA national with no current immigration permission or leave to remain subject to the NRPF condition. The following proportions of ‘unresolved’ households received support for longer than 1000 days:
Of the 38 family households that had their support withdrawn and case closed:
Of the 26 adult households that had their support withdrawn and case closed:
Looked after children and care leavers (31 March 2021)
240 looked after children and care leavers were recorded on the database, with 107 recorded as being in receipt of accommodation and/or financial support.
The number of looked after children and care leavers recorded on the database increased from 200 at the end of Q1 to 240 by the year end.
Of the 240 looked after children and care leaver households where immigration status has been recorded:
Observations
The high number of referrals indicates a significant demand for assistance in the region.
When support is provided, the councils using NRPF Connect have demonstrated good resolution rates and the average number of days on support for both families and adults with care needs is notably lower than the national average.
EEA nationals and non-EEA nationals with European residence rights form the largest proportion of adult and family households provided with support in the region, which may be a factor affecting the lower average number of days on support, with various resolution options, such as the EU Settlement Scheme, access to benefits through employment, and return to country of origin, available to this group.
Overall costs and households supported (as of 31 March 2020)
5 councils using NRPF Connect were supporting 144 households with accommodation and/or financial support at a collective annual cost of £2.35 million.
The 144 households comprised of:
The number of families receiving financial support over the course of the year increased, from 73 at the end of Q1 to 81 by the year end.
The number of adults receiving financial support also increased, from 15 at the end of Q1 to 19 by the year end.
Of the 78 family households where immigration status has been recorded:
Of the 18 adult households where immigration status has been recorded:
Referrals (April 2020 – March 2021)
405 households requesting or referred for support were added to the database during the year.
The 405 households comprised of:
35% of family households that were referred were EEA nationals or non-EEA nationals with European residence rights, 17% had no current immigration permission and 16% had a form of leave to remain that was subject to the NRPF condition.
32% of adult households that were referred were EEA nationals or non-EEA nationals with European residence rights and 32% had no current immigration permission.
Time on support and closure reasons (as of 31 March 2020)
The average number of days that a family household was supported for was 547 days (compared to the national average of 589 days).
The average number of days that an adult household was supported for was 994 days (compared to the national average of 911 days).
A case is classed as ‘unresolved’ where a parent or adult is a non-EEA national with no current immigration permission or has leave to remain subject to the NRPF condition. The following proportions of ‘unresolved’ households received support for longer than 1000 days:
Of the 48 family households that had their support withdrawn and case closed:
Of the 6 adult households that had their support withdrawn and case closed:
50% (3) exited support following a grant of leave to remain or a change in immigration status that allows access to public funds.
Looked after children and care leavers (31 March 2021)
464 looked after children and care leavers were recorded on the database, with 44 recorded as being in receipt of accommodation and/or financial support.
The number of looked after children and care leavers recorded on the database decreased from 483 at the end of Q1 to 464 by the year end.
Of the 461 looked after children and care leaver households where immigration status has been recorded:
Observations
The average number of days on support for family households is slightly below the national average, indicating good resolution rates despite a continuing high demand for assistance.
Whereas five councils use NRPF Connect to record families that are provided with support, only two use the system to record adults with care needs, which may indicate an under-reporting of the latter group.
The proportion of referrals for support being made by families and adults who were EEA nationals or held EEA residence rights (35% and 32% respectively) was higher than the proportion requesting support nationally for each group.
A considerable number of children and care leavers have been recorded on NRPF Connect in this region.
Overall costs and households supported (as of 31 March 2020)
30 London Boroughs using NRPF Connect were supporting 1991 households with accommodation and/or financial support at a collective annual cost of £37.2 million.
The 1991 households comprised of:
The number of families financially supported over the course of the year increased, from 995 at the end of Q1 to 1045 by the year end.
The number of adults financially supported also increased over the year, from 472 at the end of Q1 to 494 by the year end.
Of the 1017 family households where immigration status has been recorded:
Of the 478 adult households where immigration status has been recorded:
Referrals (April 2020 – March 2021)
3411 households requesting or referred for support were added to the database during the year, representing 60% of all new cases created nationally.
The 3411 households comprised of:
35% of family households that were referred had no current immigration status and 20% had a form of leave to remain that was subject to the NRPF condition.
33% of adult households that were referred had no current immigration status and 21% were EEA nationals or non-EEA nationals with European residence rights.
Time on support and closure reasons (as of 31 March 2020)
The average number of days that a family household was supported for was 569 days (compared to the national average of 589 days).
The average number of days that an adult household was supported for was 949 days (compared to the national average of 911 days).
A case is classed as ‘unresolved’ where a parent or adult is a non-EEA national with no current immigration permission or has leave to remain subject to the NRPF condition. The following proportions of ‘unresolved’ households received support for longer than 1000 days:
Of the 714 family households that had their support withdrawn and case closed:
Of the 212 adult households that had their support withdrawn and case closed:
Looked after children and care leavers (as of 31 March 2021)
1327 looked after children and care leavers were recorded on the database, with 452 recorded as being in receipt of accommodation and/or financial support. Of the 1327 looked after children and care leavers, 495 (40%) were recorded as being aged 21 years of age or older.
The number of looked after children and care leavers recorded on the database increased by 16% from 1143 at the end of Q1 to 1327 by the year end.
Of the 1246 looked after children and care leaver households where immigration status has been recorded:
Observations
There is a very high level of need for local authority support for families and adults with care needs in Greater London, resulting in significant cost pressures for councils in this region. Nearly all councils in the region are using NRPF Connect to help manage their response and most boroughs employ dedicated NRPF teams or specialist workers.
The overall costs are comparable to those reported by London Councils in their survey for the financial year 2016/2017, in which it was estimated that London Boroughs spent approximately £53.7 million supporting around 2,900 households each year, including approximately 3,000 children. In addition to accommodation and financial support, other costs incurred may have been taken into account in the London Councils data that are not recorded on NRPF Connect, such as resourcing a specialised staff team or commissioning immigration advice.
As duties to provide accommodation and financial support usually end at 21, the high proportion of care leavers recorded as being 21 years of age or older suggests that such support is being provided beyond the age when this responsibility usually ends. However, it could indicate that cases have not been closed on the database when leaving care responsibilities have come to an end.
Overall costs and households supported (as of 31 March 2020)
3 councils using NRPF Connect were supporting 24 households with accommodation and/or financial support at a collective annual cost of £0.3 million.
The 24 households comprised of:
Referrals (April 2020 – March 2021)
13 households requesting or referred for support were added to the database during the year.
The 13 households comprised of:
Time on support and closure reasons (as of 31 March 2020)
The average number of days that a family household was supported for was 1551 days (compared to the national average of 589 days).
The average number of days that an adult household was supported for was 2160 days (compared to the national average of 911 days).
None of the family or adult households that were receiving support at the beginning of the financial year were closed.
Observations
It is difficult to make any observations due to the limited size of the data set.
There is the potential for growth in use of the system in the North East in order for councils to maximise the benefits of using NRPF Connect and to demonstrate the pressures arising from supporting people with no recourse to public funds in this region.
Overall costs and households supported (as of 31 March 2020)
2 councils using NRPF Connect were supporting 59 households with accommodation and/or financial support at a collective annual cost of £0.9 million.
The 59 households are made up of:
The number of families receiving financial support over the course of the year decreased, from 50 at the end of Q1 to 38 by the year end.
The number of adults receiving financial support increased marginally, from 20 at the end of Q1 to 21 by the year end.
Of the 37 family households where immigration status has been recorded:
Of the 21 adult households where immigration status has been recorded:
Referrals (April 2020 – March 2021)
267 households requesting or referred for support were added to the database during the year.
The 267 households comprised of:
31% of family households that were referred had no current immigration permission and 28% had a form of leave to remain that was subject to the NRPF condition.
31% of adult households that were referred had no current immigration permission and 29% had an asylum claim recorded.
Time on support and closure reasons (as of 31 March 2020)
The average number of days that a family household was supported for was 493 days (compared to the national average of 589 days).
The average number of days that an adult household was supported for was 831 days (compared to the national average of 911 days).
A case is classed as ‘unresolved’ where a parent or adult is a non-EEA national with no current immigration permission or has leave to remain subject to the NRPF condition. The following proportions of ‘unresolved’ households received support for longer than 1000 days:
Of the 70 family households that had their support withdrawn and case closed:
Of the 20 adult households that had their support withdrawn and case closed:
Observations
For the two councils using NRPF Connect in the North West, good resolution rates are being reported, with the number of families receiving financial support reducing over the year and the average number of days on support, for both families and adults with care needs, being lower than the national average.
Despite positive action being taken to achieve case resolution, the proportion of family households that are classed as ‘unresolved’ who have been supported for longer than 1000 days (21%) is higher than the national figure of 15%. This will be a concern and is indicative of the challenges in establishing a route out of local authority support.
The data indicates a high referral rate in the region for people who have leave to remain that is subject to the NRPF condition.
There is the potential for growth in use of the system in the North West in order for councils to maximise the benefits of using NRPF Connect and to demonstrate the pressures arising from supporting people with no recourse to public funds in this region.
Overall costs and households supported (as of 31 March 2020)
10 councils using NRPF Connect were supporting 295 households with accommodation and/or financial support at a collective annual cost of £5.3 million.
The 295 households are made up of:
The number of families receiving financial support over the course of the year increased, from 102 at the end of Q1 to 113 by the year end.
The number of adults receiving financial support increased marginally, from 27 at the end of Q1 to 32 by the year end.
Of the 111 family households where immigration status has been recorded:
Of the 31 adult households where immigration status has been recorded:
Referrals (April 2020 – March 2021)
331 households requesting or referred for support were added to the database during the year.
The 331 households comprised of:
30% of family households that were referred had no current immigration permission and 24% had a form of leave to remain that was subject to the NRPF condition.
27% of adult households that were referred were EEA nationals or non-EEA nationals with European residence rights and 33% had no current immigration permission.
Time on support and closure reasons (as of 31 March 2020)
The average number of days that a family household was supported for was 770 days (compared to the national average of 589 days).
The average number of days that an adult household was supported for was 1009 days (compared to the national average of 911 days).
A case is classed as ‘unresolved’ where a parent or adult is a non-EEA national with no current immigration permission or has leave to remain subject to the NRPF condition. The following proportions of ‘unresolved’ households received support for longer than 1000 days:
Of the 45 family households that had their support withdrawn and case closed:
Looked after children and care leavers (31 March 2021)
246 looked after children and care leavers were recorded on the database, with 150 recorded as being in receipt of accommodation and/or financial support.
The number of looked after children and care leavers recorded on the database increased by 35% from 182 at the end of Q1 to 246 by the year end.
Of the 237 looked after children and care leaver households where immigration status has been recorded:
Observations
Looked after children and care leavers recorded by just five councils make up the majority of households recorded on NRPF Connect in the South East. This reflects the pressures encountered as a result of the region’s intake of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children and the impact of children turning 18 and having no recourse to public funds whilst they are waiting for a decision on their asylum claim or if they become ‘Appeal Rights Exhausted’.
Although only 32 adults with care needs were recorded by 7 councils as receiving support at the end of the financial year, the cost of providing support to this group was half of the total sum that 10 councils were spending on supporting 113 families. This suggests that accommodation placements for adults with care needs may be particularly high in the region or that councils are predominantly supporting adults requiring residential placements rather than ordinary accommodation. The relatively low number of adults with care needs recorded on NRPF Connect over the year suggests that this group may be under-reported in the region.
For both adult and family households, the average number of days on support was significantly higher than the national averages, which may reflect delays in resolving complex cases or a possible under-reporting of case closures.
A high proportion of families are recorded as having leave to remain with recourse to public funds, suggesting that there are either significant delays transitioning to mainstream benefits and housing services or cases have not been closed on the system following the withdrawal of support.
The proportion of households with a recorded asylum claim that were receiving support was higher than the national figures for both families and adults, although the region does not have a high number of households in Home Office asylum dispersal accommodation.
Overall costs and households supported (as of 31 March 2020)
2 councils using NRPF Connect were supporting 110 households with accommodation and/or financial support at a collective annual cost of £1.6 million.
The 110 households comprised of:
The number of families receiving financial support over the course of the year decreased, from 63 at the end of Q1 to 62 by the year end.
The number of adults receiving financial support increased, from 15 at the end of Q1 to 19 by the year end.
Of the 61 family households where immigration status has been recorded:
Of the 18 adult households where immigration status has been recorded:
Referrals (April 2020 – March 2021)
125 households requesting or referred for support were added to the database during the year.
125 households comprised of:
25% of family households that were referred EEA nationals or non-EEA nationals with European residence rights and 21% had an asylum claim recorded.
45% of adult households that were referred had an asylum claim recorded and 33% had no current immigration permission.
Time on support and closure reasons (as of 31 March 2020)
The average number of days that a family household was supported for was 602 days (compared to the national average of 589 days).
The average number of days that an adult household was supported for was 784 days (compared to the national average of 911 days).
A case is classed as ‘unresolved’ where a parent or adult is a non-EEA national with no current immigration permission or has leave to remain subject to the NRPF condition. The following proportions of ‘unresolved’ households received support for longer than 1000 days:
Of the 42 family households that had their support withdrawn and case closed:
Of the 7 adult households that had their support withdrawn and case closed:
Looked after children and care leavers (31 March 2021)
123 looked after children and care leavers were recorded on the database, with 29 recorded as being in receipt of accommodation and/or financial support.
The number of looked after children and care leavers recorded on the database decreased from 135 at the end of Q1 to 123 by the year end.
Of the 109 looked after children and care leaver households where immigration status has been recorded:
Observations
Good resolution rates are reported by the two councils using NRPF Connect in the South West, evidenced by the average number of days on support being lower than the national averages for both family and adult households, and by the reduction in the number of supported families across the year.
The proportion of households with a recorded asylum claim that were receiving or referred for support was higher than the national figures for both families and adults, although the region does not have a high number of households in Home Office asylum dispersal accommodation.
For children and looked after care leavers, the 28% who ‘had no current immigration permission’ demonstrates how a sizeable proportion of children in care will not be on an asylum route but must nevertheless be assisted by the council to obtain immigration status in the UK.
Overall costs and households supported (as of 31 March 2020)
6 councils using NRPF Connect were supporting 140 households with accommodation and/or financial support at a collective annual cost of £1.8 million.
The 140 households comprised of:
The number of families financially supported over the course of the year decreased, from 122 at the end of Q1 to 106 by the year end.
No new adult households were recorded as financially supported in the year.
Of the 102 family households where immigration status has been recorded:
Of the 12 adult households where immigration status has been recorded:
Referrals (April 2020 – March 2021)
451 households requesting or referred for support were added to the database during the year.
The 451 households comprised of:
32% of family households that were referred had no current immigration permission and 26% had a form of leave to remain that was subject to the NRPF condition.
31% of adult households that were referred were EEA nationals or non-EEA nationals with European residence rights and 28% had no current immigration permission.
Time on support and closure reasons (as of 31 March 2020)
The average number of days that a family household was supported for was 875 days (compared to the national average of 589 days).
The average number of days that an adult household was supported for was 1445 days (compared to the national average of 911 days).
A case is classed as ‘unresolved’ where a parent or adult is a non-EEA national with no current immigration permission or has leave to remain subject to the NRPF condition. The following proportions of ‘unresolved’ households received support for longer than 1000 days:
Of the 80 family households that had their support withdrawn and case closed:
None of the 12 adults supported at the start of the year had their case closed following the withdrawal of support.
Looked after children and care leavers (31 March 2021)
75 looked after children and care leavers were recorded on the database, with 22 recorded as being in receipt of accommodation and/or financial support.
The number of looked after children and care leavers recorded on the database decreased from 149 at the end of Q1 to 75 by the year end.
Of the 75 looked after children and care leaver households where immigration status has been recorded:
Observations
The overall number of family households supported in the West Midlands has reduced throughout the financial year, indicating good resolution rates despite a significant number of requests and referrals for support being recorded.
Despite positive action being taken to achieve case resolution, the proportion of family households that are classed as ‘unresolved’ who have been supported for longer than 1000 days (36%) is significantly higher than the national figure of 15%. This will be a concern and is indicative of the challenges in establishing a route out of local authority support.
It is unclear whether the data accurately reflects the number of adults with care needs being supported in the region. Although 2 councils did record 169 referrals made by adults presenting with possible care needs, none were recorded as provided with accommodation and financial support. None of the 12 adults already receiving support at the start of the year exited support, indicating that no resolutions to their lack of access to mainstream benefits had been successfully achieved.
Overall costs and households supported (as of 31 March 2020)
3 councils using NRPF Connect were supporting 108 households with accommodation and/or financial support at a collective annual cost of £1.35 million.
The 108 households comprised of:
The number of families financially supported over the course of the year increased from 84 at the end of Q1 to 100 by the end of Q2, but then reduced to 82 by the year end.
The number of adults receiving financially support reduced, from 30 at the end of Q1 to 26 by the year end.
Of the 79 family households where immigration status has been recorded:
Of the 24 adult households where immigration status has been recorded:
Referrals (April 2020 – March 2021)
225 households requesting or referred for support were added to the database during the year.
The 225 households comprised of:
33% of family households that were referred had a form of leave to remain that was subject to the NRPF condition.
35% of adult households that were referred were EEA nationals or non-EEA nationals with European residence rights and 29% had a form of leave to remain that was subject to the NRPF condition.
Time on support and closure reasons (as of 31 March 2020)
The average number of days that a family household was supported for was 377 days (compared to the national average of 589 days).
The average number of days that an adult household was supported for was 235 days (compared to the national average of 911 days).
A case is classed as ‘unresolved’ where a parent or adult is a non-EEA national with no current immigration permission or has leave to remain subject to the NRPF condition. The following proportions of ‘unresolved’ households received support for longer than 1000 days:
Of the 99 family households that had their support withdrawn and case closed:
Observations
Councils in Yorkshire & the Humber have reported a number of short-term interventions made over the year, with 121 new households provided with financial support and 99 cases closed. It is this rapid response and resolution that has led to a much lower figure for the average time on support per household in comparison to the national average.
The resolution rate may have also been affected by the high proportion of households with leave to remain with NRPF recorded as requesting and receiving support, as some people in this position may be able to resolve their situation of destitution relatively quickly via the Change of Conditions process.
With one new council joining in the Yorkshire & Humber region in 2020-21, and three councils currently subscribing, there is the potential for growth in use of the system in Yorkshire and the Humber in order for councils to maximise the benefits of using NRPF Connect and to demonstrate the pressures arising from supporting people with no recourse to public funds in this region.
Overall costs and households supported (as of 31 March 2020)
2 councils using NRPF Connect were supporting 65 households with accommodation and/or financial support at a collective annual cost of £0.58 million.
The 65 households comprised of:
The number of families financially supported over the course of the year increased marginally, from 24 at the end of Q1 to 27 by the year end.
The number of adults receiving financially support also increased marginally, from 33 at the end of Q1 to 35 by the year end.
Of the 22 family households where immigration status has been recorded:
Of the 35 adult households where immigration status has been recorded:
Referrals (April 2020 – March 2021)
56 households requesting or referred for support were added to the database during the year.
The 56 households comprised of:
35% of family households that were referred had an asylum claim recorded, 30% had no current immigration permission and 25% had a form of leave to remain that was subject to the NRPF condition.
48% of adult households that were referred had no current immigration permission, 22% had an asylum claim recorded.
Time on support and closure reasons (as of 31 March 2020)
The average number of days that a family household was supported for was 456 days (compared to the national average of 589 days).
The average number of days that an adult household was supported for was 780 days (compared to the national average of 911 days).
A case is classed as ‘unresolved’ where a parent or adult is a non-EEA national with no current immigration permission or has leave to remain subject to the NRPF condition. The following proportions of ‘unresolved’ households received support for longer than 1000 days:
Of the 18 family households that had their support withdrawn and case closed:
Of the 7 adult households that had their support withdrawn and case closed:
Observations
The average time on support, for both family and adult households, is lower than the national averages for each group, suggesting effective case resolution activities are being undertaken by the councils using the database.
There is the potential for growth in use of the system in Scotland in order for councils to maximise the benefits of using NRPF Connect and to demonstrate the pressures arising from supporting people with no recourse to public funds in Scotland.