- Foreword
- Introduction
- Immigration status and eligibility for public funds
- Public funds for immigration purposes
- Eligibility for other publicly funded services
- Social services’ support - introduction
- Social services’ support – referrals
- Social services’ support – exclusion
- Social services’ support – children within families
- Social services’ support – adults
- Unaccompanied children & young people leaving care
- Assessments when the exclusion applies
- Reviews and ending support
- Pathways out of destitution
- Social services’ support - NRPF service delivery
- EEA nationals and family members
- Asylum seekers
- Survivors of trafficking and modern slavery
- Useful information and other services
- Upcoming legislative changes
- Glossary
Reviews and ending support
Local authorities play an important role in alleviating destitution by providing vulnerable adults and children who have insecure immigration status with support when social services’ duties are engaged. Once support is provided, it is important that appropriate interventions take place to help the person or family to resolve their immigration status, for example, obtaining a form of leave to remain that enables them to access mainstream benefits and housing services.
This chapter sets out what a local authority may need to do to help a person or family who is supported by social services and has no recourse to public funds (NRPF). It sets out good practice steps to follow when reviewing support arrangements and when support needs to be withdrawn.
Key points
- When support is provided to an adult or family, it is important that regular reviews are undertaken to identify any change of circumstances which might affect their eligibility for continued support; the person should be advised from the outset on what basis support has been provided, and how this might change.
- Proactive steps should be taken to help the person or family resolve their situation of destitution and need for social services’ support. By finding a sustainable solution to prevent an ongoing or future need for social services’ support, the local authority will be acting in the best interests of a child and promoting a vulnerable adult’s wellbeing, as well as reducing costs incurred by the local authority.
- A decision to withdraw support may only be made following an assessment that finds the person or family not to be in need of assistance because they are either no longer eligible under the relevant social care legislation, or they are in an excluded group under Schedule 3 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 and the local authority, through conducting a human rights assessment, has concluded that they are able to return to their country of origin to prevent a human rights breach arising from their situation of destitution in the UK.
- When support is withdrawn, a reasonable notice period should be provided along with assistance in accessing alternative support arrangements, where this is appropriate, such as help with applications for social security benefits or local authority housing.