In fact applying for or using public funds while on an NRPF visa violates its terms and could result in deportation.
No it doesn't.
It can apply to students, spouses, people who are granted leave on the basis of family or private life, to people who have exhausted their appeals to leave, to asylum seekers; etc.
http://www.nrpfnetwork.org.uk/information/Pages/asylum-seeke...
https://www.childrenslegalcentre.com/resources/no-recourse-p...
This hits children because free school meals are sometimes gatewayed by access to child tax credit or working tax credit, and those are public funds.
Students can’t bring dependants without showing they are financially capable to support them, spouses and children of work permit holders are dependents which also means that their sponsor must meet base salary requirements + additional requirements for each dependent.
The rest are not here legally, are in the process of being deported or are in process of getting a permit so why the fuck would they have access to public funds in the first place?
You've assumed that this child has been refused free school meals because of their financial status. The rapporteur is talking about the mis-application of "no recourse to public funds" rules. A family that has NRPF should still be able to get free school meals, but sometimes the schools don't understand this.
This is a family who is poor, and who should be getting free school meals, but who aren't.