Burnham steps back from past calls to end immigration benefits restriction

Andy Burnham has rolled back from his previous calls for ministers to scrap a restriction on immigrants claiming benefits as the Makerfield byelection places greater scrutiny on his policy positions. As Greater Manchester mayor, Burnham has called several times for an end to the rule known as no recourse to public funds (NRPF), which since 1999 has prevented people moving to the UK getting access to benefits or public housing before they are granted settled status. The system can be a significant driver of homelessness, as those who lose their job or suffer another setback are ineligible for any official support, and can often end up sleeping rough. In 2023, Burnham signed a joint letter with the mayors of every Greater Manchester borough, urging the then-Conservative government to take action to stop a surge in homelessness due to the planned closure of so-called bridging hotels, temporary accommodation used mainly to help resettled Afghan nationals. The letter, among its wider demands to help end rough sleeping, asked for the NRPF rules to be changed so that non-UK nationals in this situation who faced homelessness would be given “at least a minimum safety net”. In 2019, in a statement on his mayoral website calling for more efforts to combat homelessness, Burnham said one response should be to “abolish the no recourse to public funds policy”. …