No Recourse to Public Funds Panel

No Recourse to Public Funds Panel

Guidance about the essential information required in advance of panel

Before presenting the child and family at the No Recourse to Public Funds Panel, please provide the essential information as set out below. The No Recourse to Public Funds Procedures should also be read.

When asking for the information from families, you will need to see proof of what you are told. This includes seeing passports, birth certificates, and papers which set out the legal status of the child/ren and the parents.

You will need to take photocopies of the documents to present to panel.

If you are not provided with this information, you will need to advise the parents that any further assistance (following assistance provided for emergency accommodation and maintenance for a maximum of four weeks) cannot be provided until they present the information requested.

1.  Basic information, nationality and legal status:

For each child:

·  Name and date of birth

·  Country of origin and Nationality If different from their country of origin (this is not their ethnic origin)

·  Photocopy of their birth certificate and / or passport

·  Legal / immigration status – and photocopy of any papers providing this information

·  Frameworki number

For each parent:

·  Name and date of birth

·  Country of origin and Nationality If different from their country of origin (this is not their ethnic origin)

·  Photocopy of their birth certificate and / or passport

·  Legal / immigration status – and photocopy of any papers providing this information

·  Frameworki number

If it is stated by the parent carer that the children are British or EU Citizens – why do you believe this to be the case and what confirmation have you had of this?

2.  Details of current and previous income:

You should ask what the children and parents have been living off since being in the country and what they are living off now. Do they have a National Insurance Number?

Ask to see bank statements and other information (may include letters about welfare benefits) which provide proof of this information and take photocopies.

3.  Why financial support is being requested

·  Why does the family need support now if they did not previously need it?

·  Are there any other avenues open to the family to offer support?

·  If the father is not around - where is/are the children’s father(s)?

·  If the father is not around, have the father(s) offered the children/mother financial support? Why can’t the father(s) provide financial support to the family?

·  Do any of the family members have any desire to return to their country of origin? And if so, would they/the children be safe if they did so?

·  Do the family have any additional specific needs?

4.  Details of any funding we are already providing

If funding is already being provided (for example initial assistance provided for emergency accommodation and maintenance for a maximum of four weeks), what are we funding, how much, how often and what is the purpose of the funding?

5.  Details of where each of the children and parents have been living since being in the country

Ask for details and proof of where each member of the family has been living since being in the country.

This proof might be Tenancy Agreements, letters from housing benefit etc.

6.  Details of application for leave to remain and for asylum claims

You should ask if:

·  They have applied for leave to remain

·  They have they claimed asylum;

·  Whether they have a Home Office number;

·  There are any appeals lodged; and

·  Whether they have legal representation.

You should ask to see documents they have about all of this and take photocopies.

7.  Modern slavery or trafficking

Do you have any reason to believe that anyone in the family (parents and children) is subject to modern slavery or trafficking?

8.  Timeline:

Please provide a timeline for each parent. This should include:

·  When they entered the UK);

·  Their status and any changes in this;

·  Their means of income during the time they have been in the country;

·  On what basis did each family member enter the UK?

·  How did each family member enter the UK?

·  Birth of the child/ren

9.  Any other information you think is relevant to assist the panel

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