"Sometimes my belly will hurt": No Recourse to Public Funds and the Right to Food

Food poverty is a growing concern in the UK. The link between welfare reform and food poverty is well understood, but there is little research around the relationship between immigration policy and food poverty.

As such, this briefing explores the ways in which the ‘no recourse to public funds’ condition causes food poverty within some migrant communities.

Our key recommendations are:

1. The extension of universal free school meals beyond year 2 so that no child goes hungry during the school day.
2. The development of a right to food framework that includes a legally binding universal right to food alongside broader incorporation of socio-economic rights.
3. The abolishment of the ‘no recourse to public funds’ condition in order to safeguard migrant communities from destitution.
4. For the government to ensure that immigration policy is in line with its international human rights obligations.
5. Ensure that the government has robust monitoring of household food insecurity that takes into account all vulnerable groups, including individuals with no recourse to public funds.