Ending Destitution Together: Phase Two Delivery Plan
A plan outlining the second phase of delivery of the Ending Destitution Together strategy, continuing to improve support for people with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) living in Scotland.
Turning evidence into action
In response to this growing demand, and the strengthening evidence-base on NRPF, this delivery plan combines practical action, such as improving access to financial support, housing and advice, with continued engagement with the UK Government to address systemic barriers and reduce the risk of destitution.
As well as continuing to learn from and build upon the Fair Way Scotland Emergency Cash Support and Casework project which is delivering successful outcomes in lifting people out of destitution, Scottish Government and COSLA will establish a short life working group to explore financial support options for people with NRPF in Scotland. This work will help identify if there are options for Scottish Government, local government or other partners to go further in the provision of financial support while remaining within the confines of devolved powers.
We know that people subject to the NRPF condition experience disproportionate barriers across a range of public and support services, including housing, healthcare, social security and support for women and girls who have been affected by violence. This also has a particularly acute impact on children and families.
This delivery plan takes a cross-cutting approach and aligns with key national strategies such as Equally Safe, Ending Homelessness Together and the Child Poverty strategy to ensure that the needs of people with NRPF are considered in areas such as child poverty, homelessness and health, and that services are better equipped to respond to these inequalities.
Local authorities play a vital role in supporting people who face destitution in their communities and this plan includes an action for Fair Way Scotland to work intensively with a local authority to test approaches that maximise support for households with NRPF. It is hoped that this pilot will generate learning that is relevant for all local authorities.
Changes to the asylum and immigration systems at UK level are expected to increase destitution. For this delivery plan to remain relevant, it needs to be informed by those who have lived experience of destitution and underpinned by robust data. This delivery plan includes actions to strengthen the evidence base through continued data collection, improved national coordination, and the identification of gaps in current knowledge, as well as ensuring that those with lived experience have opportunities to feed in to policy development.
This delivery plan and the funding that underpins it, represents a significant continued commitment to tackling destitution within Scotland. The wide range of actions identified have been informed by the evidence base but will continue to evolve as we learn more about what works in preventing and mitigating the harmful impacts of destitution.