No recourse to public funds

What Are Public Funds?

"Public funds" is a defined term in immigration law. The specific benefits classified as public funds include:

Benefits open to new claims: Universal Credit, State Pension Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, Carer's Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Housing Benefit, Health in Pregnancy Grant, and Social Fund payments — in England and Wales a Maternity Expenses Payment, Funeral Expenses Payment, Cold Weather Payment, Winter Fuel Payment or Budgeting Loan Payment, and in Northern Ireland a Sure Start Maternity Grant Payment, Funeral Expenses Payment, Cold Weather Payment, Winter Fuel Payment or Budgeting Loan Payment.

Benefits closed to new claims but still listed:Severe Disablement Allowance, income-based Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit.

Other: Child Benefit, social housing and homelessness assistance, council tax reduction schemes, a discretionary support payment in Northern Ireland under the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015, and a discretionary payment made by a local authority under section 1 of the Localism Act 2011.

Social Security Scotland benefits: Child Disability Payment, Adult Disability Payment, Carer's Allowance Supplement, Scottish Child Payment, Funeral Support Payment, Job Start Payment, Child Winter Heating Assistance, Winter Heating Payment, a payment from a Welfare Fund under the Welfare Funds (Scotland) Act 2015, Carer's Support Payment, Pension Age Disability Payment, Pension Age Winter Heating Payment and Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance.

What Is NOT a Public Fund

GOV.UK states the principle plainly: “Public funds do not include benefits that are based on National Insurance contributions… People with no recourse to public funds who have paid the necessary National Insurance contributions or have relevant periods of employment or self-employment can claim contributory benefits and statutory payments.” The benefits and payments it then names as not public funds are:

• New Style Jobseeker's Allowance
• New Style Employment and Support Allowance
• Maternity Allowance
• State Pension
• Statutory Sick Pay
• Bereavement Support Payment
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
• Guardian's Allowance, if you are getting Child Benefit
• The statutory parental payments: Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Paternity Pay, Statutory Adoption Pay, Statutory Shared Parental Pay and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay. See our maternity and sick pay entry.

Note the pairs that sit on opposite sides of the line. New Style Jobseeker's Allowance is not a public fund; income-based Jobseeker's Allowance is. Maternity Allowance is not; the Health in Pregnancy Grant is. Guardian's Allowance is not; Child Benefit is.

Also outside the definition:

• NHS treatment. Paying the immigration health surcharge gives you NHS care on the same basis as a resident — which means you then pay what a resident pays, not nothing. In England that is £9.90 for a prescription and dental bands of £27.90, £76.60 and £332.10. Prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. See our NHS charges entry.
• State education for your children.
• Free school meals. GOV.UK's free school meals page says a child may still be eligible where the household does not qualify for most benefits because it has no recourse to public funds. In England, infant free school meals go to every child in reception, year 1 and year 2 at a government-funded school regardless of status, and from the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year a child qualifies if the household receives Universal Credit, whatever the income. Ask the school or the local authority rather than assuming.
• Healthy Start. The scheme normally requires a qualifying benefit, but the NHS runs a separate route for a family that has at least one British child under 4, earns £408 a month or less after tax, and cannot claim public funds because of its immigration status. It is applied for by email to the NHS Business Services Authority rather than online. See Healthy Start: how to apply.
• English language courses and community-funded ESOL classes.

Applying to Have NRPF Lifted

If you are destitute or at risk of destitution, you can apply for a "change of conditions" to have the NRPF condition removed. You must show:

• You are unable to meet your essential living needs (food, accommodation, basic utilities).
• You have no other means of support.
• There has been a change in circumstances since your visa was granted (such as job loss, relationship breakdown, or illness). If your visa is expiring, you may also need to consider Section 3C leave while your application is pending.

The application is made online through GOV.UK and there is no fee for it. GOV.UK does not publish a service standard for how long a change of conditions decision takes, so this entry gives none. If it is granted, the condition is removed from your existing permission; you do not get a new visa. See our NRPF spouse visa guide for specific advice for spouse visa holders.

Local Authority Support

Even with NRPF, local authorities have duties under the Children Act 1989 to support children in need. If you have dependent children and are destitute, contact your local council's children's services. They are legally required to assess your children's needs and may provide accommodation and financial support.

The Care Act 2014 places duties on local authorities in England towards adults with care and support needs; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own social care legislation rather than the Care Act. Whether any of these duties is engaged in a given case is a matter for the local authority's assessment.

Organisations That Can Help

• NRPF Network. A coalition providing information and support for people with NRPF.
• Citizens Advice. Free, confidential advice.
• Shelter. Housing advice and support.
• Local food banks. Trussell Trust and independent food banks provide emergency food.
• Immigration solicitors. Can help with change of conditions applications.
• Home Office. Contact them directly about your application status.

Next Steps

The change of conditions route exists and is free to apply for; an immigration adviser can advise on whether it fits a particular case, which this site cannot. Local authority children's services keep their duties under the Children Act 1989 whatever the condition says. Costs across the routes are in our visa fees entry. The list of public funds itself is short, published, and worth reading in full before assuming anything is on it: GOV.UK public funds guidance.

Questions and answers