The Domestic Abuse Commissioner has today announced the appointment of researchers at the London School of Economics and Political Science, commissioned to produce a report on support for victims and survivors of domestic abuse who have no recourse to public funds (NRPF) in summer 2022.
The research will be conducted over six months from January – June 2022 and will provide an estimate of the number of victims and survivors of domestic abuse in the UK who have NRPF, a condition which prevents people from accessing housing benefit and other public funds due to their immigration status.
The Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s recent report Safety Before Status found the NRPF condition means many migrant victims and survivors of domestic abuse are unable to access safe accommodation such as refuge and are often forced to stay with their abuser or face homelessness and destitution if they flee.
The Home Office has accepted the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s recommendation to extend support to all victims and survivors of domestic abuse, regardless of their immigration status. This research will set out how the Home Office can make this a reality following the conclusion of the Support for Migrant Victims Pilot on 31st March.
Alongside an estimate of the number of victims and survivors of domestic abuse subject to NRPF, the research will provide an estimate of the cost of extending accommodation, subsistence, and specialist holistic support to those who need it. The research will also provide a cost benefit analysis of improving the availability of this support.
The research will be led by Dr Kath Scanlon, Deputy Director and Research Fellow at LSE London, supported by Professor Christine Whitehead, Deputy Director of LSE London, Bert Provan, Senior Policy Fellow at LSE, Ria Ivandic, Research Associate at LSE who specialises in domestic abuse, and Fanny Blanc, Policy Officer at LSE.
The London School of Economics will also work in partnership with the Oxford Migration Observatory, who provide analysis of immigration and migration issues affecting the United Kingdom.
Read Safety Before Status here
Read the Government’s response to Safety Before Status here