NRPF and housing during COVID-19

The request was partially successful.

Dear Westminster City Council,

Please provide the following information under the Freedom of Information
Act 2000.

1. How many individuals did the council house during March-July 2020 where the individual(s) has No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) status?

2. How many families did the council house during March-July 2020 where the parent(s) has No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) status?

3. How many individuals did the council move on or relocate during March-July 2020 where the individual(s) has No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) status?

4. Where an individual with NRPF status has been evicted or relocated during March-July 2020, how many individuals did the council relocate to alternative accommodation:

a. Outside of the borough
b. Outside of London

5. From March-July 2020, how many requests for support were made to the council resulting in the individual(s) with NRPF receiving support from the council?

6. From March-July 2020, how many requests for support were granted by the council resulting in the individual(s) with NRPF receiving support from the council?

7. From March-July 2020, in cases where requests were denied support by the council for individual(s) with NRPF, what were the reasons for this?

8. In the 6 months prior to COVID-19, how many individual(s) were accommodated on average per month by the council where the individual(s) has NRPF status?

9. What was the council’s policy on NRPF pre COVID-19?

10. If there has been a change in policy, what is the council’s policy on NRPF post COVID-19?

Many thanks in advance for your help.

Yours faithfully,

Mahlea Babjak

Westminster City Council

Information request
Our reference: 16218465

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 
Dear Ms Babjak
 
Thank you for contacting Westminster City Council's Information Management
Team. 

Your query will be allocated for response, and someone will contact you
within 5 working days to confirm the details of your request. 

Please see the Council's website for further information on the Freedom of
Information Act
- [1]http://www.westminster.gov.uk/services/c...

Kind regards, 
 
Information Management Team
Westminster City Council
64 Victoria Street
London
SW1E 6QP
[email address]
 
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.
 

References

Visible links
1. http://www.westminster.gov.uk/services/c...

Westminster City Council

Information request
Our reference: 16218465

show quoted sections

Westminster City Council

Information request
Our reference: 16218465

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Dear ‎Ms Babjak‏
 
Re. Freedom of Information Request  16218465
 
Thank you for your recent request to the Council. You asked to be provided
with the following information:
 

Scheme
Freedom of Information Act

Details
1. How many individuals did the council house during March-July
2020 where the individual(s) has No Recourse to Public Funds
(NRPF) status?

2. How many families did the council house during March-July 2020
where the parent(s) has No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) status?

3. How many individuals did the council move on or relocate during
March-July 2020 where the individual(s) has No Recourse to Public
Funds (NRPF) status?

4. Where an individual with NRPF status has been evicted or
relocated during March-July 2020, how many individuals did the
council relocate to alternative accommodation:
a. Outside of the borough
b. Outside of London

5. From March-July 2020, how many requests for support were made
to the council resulting in the individual(s) with NRPF receiving
support from the council?

6. From March-July 2020, how many requests for support were
granted by the council resulting in the individual(s) with NRPF
receiving support from the council?

7. From March-July 2020, in cases where requests were denied
support by the council for individual(s) with NRPF, what were the
reasons for this?

8. In the 6 months prior to COVID-19, how many individual(s) were
accommodated on average per month by the council where the
individual(s) has NRPF status?

9. What was the council's policy on NRPF pre COVID-19?

10. If there has been a change in policy, what is the council's
policy on NRPF post COVID-19?

 
Response ' Clarification required
 
 
I am writing to ask you to clarify your request. This is because we need
further details from you in order to identify and locate the information.
Please clarify what you mean for the following questions:

5. From March-July 2020, how many requests for support were made to the
council resulting in the individual(s) with NRPF receiving support from
the council? Please clarify what do you mean by support e.g do you just
mean providing accommodation?

6. From March-July 2020, how many requests for support were granted by the
council resulting in the individual(s) with NRPF receiving support from
the council? Please clarify what do you mean by support e.g. do you just
mean providing accommodation?
.

7. From March-July 2020, in cases where requests were denied support by
the council for individual(s) with NRPF, what were the reasons for this?
Please clarify what do you mean by support e.g. do you just mean providing
accommodation?

9. What was the council's policy on NRPF pre COVID-19? Please clarify what
areas are you referring to e.g providing accommodation, Children's
Services, financial support?

10. If there has been a change in policy, what is the council's policy on
NRPF post COVID-19? Please clarify what areas are you referring to e.g
providing accommodation, Children's Services, financial support?
 
Advice & Assistance
 
Your request will be placed on hold until you provide the clarifications
as set out in the section above, whereupon your request will be allocated
to the relevant department(s) for consideration. You will receive a
response within the statutory timescale of 20 working days (from date of
receipt of the clarification) as defined by Act.
 
For your information, the Act defines a number of exemptions, which may
prevent release of the information you have requested. There will be an
assessment and if any of the exemption categories apply then it cannot be
released. You will be informed if any exemptions apply.
 
 
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
Phone: 0303 123 1113
Website: [1]www.ico.org.uk
  
Yours sincerely
 
 
Westminster City Council
Growth Planning & Housing

Email: [email address]
Web: [2]www.westminster.gov.uk
 
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.
 

References

Visible links
1. http://www.ico.org.uk/
2. file:///tmp/www.westminster.gov.uk

Dear Westminster City Council,

In reply to your request for clarification:
5. Yes
6. Yes
7. Yes
9. All (accommodation, children's services, financial support)
10. All (accommodation, children's services, financial support)

Yours sincerely,

Mahlea Babjak

Westminster City Council

Dear Ms Babjak,
 
You recently made the following request for information.
 
1. How many individuals did the council house during March-July 2020 where
the individual(s) has No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) status?

2. How many families did the council house during March-July 2020 where
the parent(s) has No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) status?

3. How many individuals did the council move on or relocate during
March-July 2020 where the individual(s) has No Recourse to Public Funds
(NRPF) status?

4. Where an individual with NRPF status has been evicted or relocated
during March-July 2020, how many individuals did the council relocate to
alternative accommodation:
a. Outside of the borough
b. Outside of London

5. From March-July 2020, how many requests for support were made to the
council resulting in the individual(s) with NRPF receiving support from
the council?

6. From March-July 2020, how many requests for support were granted by the
council resulting in the individual(s) with NRPF receiving support from
the council?

7. From March-July 2020, in cases where requests were denied support by
the council for individual(s) with NRPF, what were the reasons for this?

8. In the 6 months prior to COVID-19, how many individual(s) were
accommodated on average per month by the council where the individual(s)
has NRPF status?

9. What was the council's policy on NRPF pre COVID-19?

10. If there has been a change in policy, what is the council's policy on
NRPF post COVID-19?
 
This response relates to Questions 2,5,6, 7,8,9.  I apologise that our
response to the other questions will be delayed slightly.  We hope to
respond to you by 23 September. If there is any further delay we will let
you know.
 

Refusal Notice  

Your request for information will not be processed.

Clients approaching the service are initially assessed at the first stage
of contact. This initial contact takes into consideration whether the
client has any recourse to public funding. When clients are found to have
NRPF, the Council’s assistance would be limited to providing advice.
Unfortunately data for all clients where only housing advice has been
provided is not detailed and would require  looking at each case
individually to ascertain whether NRPF was a factor in the households
assessment.

There were 1414 cases of advice being given in the requested period.  At
an average of 5 mins per case, this would take approximately 118 hours
which equates to £2950.

The cost of locating and retrieving the information would therefore
significantly exceed the “appropriate limit” as stated in the Freedom of
Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004.  

Under section 17 of the Act this response constitutes a refusal notice in
respect of the requested information.

You have the right of appeal against the decision.  If you wish to appeal
please set out in writing your grounds of appeal and send it to
[email address]

 

Should you still be dissatisfied with the outcome of any such complaint
you have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner,
pursuant to section 50 of the FOIA.  The contact details are:

 

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Tel: 0303 123 1113 or 01625 54 57 45
Fax: 01625 524510

Web: [1]www.ico.gov.uk

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Westminster Council

 

References

Visible links
1. http://www.ico.gov.uk/

Westminster City Council

Dear Ms Babjak,
 
Whilst still awaiting information on the outstanding questions, I have
received some information from Westminster's Children's Services.  I am
therefore able to provide a partial response for Questions 2 & 8 as
follows:
 

 

 1. How many families did the council house during March-July 2020 where
the parent(s) has No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) status?

 

               10 (New) families have been accommodated by Children's
Services from March to July 2020.

 

        8. In the 6 months prior to COVID-19, how many individual(s) were
accommodated on average per month        by the council where the
individual(s) has NRPF status?  

Children's Services have accommodated 12 new families from September 2019
to February 2020 at an average of 2 families per month.

 

I hope this is helpful.

 

We still aim to respond to the outstanding by 23 September.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Westminster Council