- Guardian: Home Office's denial of benefits to migrant families unlawful, court rules Archived Message
Posted by Sinister Burt
on May 7, 2020, 12:36 pm
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https://www.dumptheguardian.com/society/2020/may/07/home-offices-denial-of-benefits-to-migrant-families-unlawful-court-rules "An eight-year-old British boy has today won a ruling that a Home Office policy denying families like his access to the welfare safety net is unlawful. The boy took a case to the high court arguing that the Home Office’s no recourse to public funds (NRPF) policy increased the risk of families like his becoming destitute and heightened public health risks by forcing people into overcrowded accommodation or onto the streets. The decision by senior judges is expected to provide a lifeline to people unable to work during the Covid-19 pandemic who are currently blocked from accessing essential state support. The judges in the case heard that the boy, known in court as W, had lived his entire life in extreme poverty because his mother’s wages as a carer were not enough for her to keep her son properly housed and fed. Under the NRPF policy introduced in 2012 by the then-home secretary, Theresa May, the boy’s migrant mother was blocked from receiving the same state support that helped other low-earning parents to survive, including child and housing benefits, or tax credits. The court heard that the boy had moved school five times and had been street homeless with his mother, due to the Home Office’s refusal to allow them access to the social security safety net. The judges were also told that J, as his mother was known in court, had been driven into debt and suffered from serious anxiety. A detailed order is expected to follow, which will set out the steps the Home Office needs to take to comply with the judges’ ruling." Ctd. |
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