At the Westminster Hall debate I put the Tory government under renewed pressure to scrap its damaging no recourse to public funds (NRPF) policy which continues to push people into hardship and destitution due to being denied access to key support.

The policy – which the SNP colleagues and I have repeatedly challenged the Tory government on – excludes affected people from accessing financial support including Universal Credit and housing assistance.

Colleagues and I have repeatedly warned that people who cannot access support face being disproportionately hit due to the double hit of financial difficulties and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Tories’ no recourse to public funds policy has punished, and continues to punish, some of the most vulnerable people in our society by excluding them from accessing crucial support at this critical time.

We are in the middle of a global health pandemic, cases are rising and further measures are being introduced to tackle the virus, it is beyond shameful that the Tory government still refuses to scrap the policy – which even Boris Johnson admitted he did not know the details about – to help people who are being pushed to the brink.

The Tory government has made a deliberate and damaging decision to continue to impose these restrictions and deny people the help they desperately need at this time to get through the crisis.

It is vital that Boris Johnson reads up on his own government’s policy and takes heed of the devastating impact no recourse to public funds is having on people and communities and scraps the policy for good.