To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on the number of children in families with the legal right to remain in the UK with an attached no recourse to public funds condition on their leave to remain who are unable to access free school meals; and what plans the Government has to review the policy and practice in those circumstances.
Answered on
22 May 2018
The information on the number of children in families who have no recourse to public funds is not held centrally.
Free school meals are available to disadvantaged families in receipt of certain qualifying benefits, including children of immigrants and refugees who are receiving support under Part VI of the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999.
Decisions as to whether immigrants or refugees have recourse to public funds and/or receive support under Part VI of the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999 are made by the Home Office. The Home Office is able to exercise discretion to grant recourse to public funds where the family would otherwise be destitute. Where this entitles the family to receive certain benefits they may also be able to claim free school meals.