Charities that lobbied Shabana Mahmood to water down care worker settlement rules received more than £1bn of taxpayer cash
Mencap, the learning disabilities charity that publicly opposed Shabana Mahmood's earned-settlement principle, received more than £200m in public funds — the most of the 38 charities that lobbied ministers to dilute the crackdown.Mahmood's climbdown will reduce the number of people facing delayed settlement to just over 500,000, well down from nearly 800,000 under her original plans.
Thirty-eight charities that lobbied politicians and the Home Office to weaken Mahmood's care worker settlement rules drew more than £1bn from taxpayer-funded contracts and grants in their most recent financial year. Mencap, a learning disabilities charity and the largest recipient, took in over £200m and pressed MPs to retain the five-year settlement pathway for social care workers.
Barnardo's, the children's charity, collected £192m in public money and told peers it opposes 'earned settlement' as a basis for children's right to remain.
Praxis, a refugee charity receiving nearly £1m in grants, rejected earned settlement 'entirely' and issued a guide stating that those arriving illegally should not be penalised when applying for settled status.
Praxis and other charities bussed more than 500 people to Parliament in March to make the case to around 100 MPs against the original, stricter proposals.
