No recourse to public funds explained

Which benefits are restricted, which are not and what to check.

The short answer

Some immigration permissions come with a condition called no recourse to public funds (NRPF). It means you cannot claim certain benefits and housing help. It does not stop you claiming benefits that are based on National Insurance contributions you have paid. Whether the condition applies to you is written in your immigration permission, so check yours, and get advice from a regulated adviser if you are unsure.

What counts as public funds

GOV.UK lists the benefits that are counted as public funds. They include:

Universal Credit and Pension Credit
Housing Benefit, and help for people who are homeless
Child Benefit, Carer's Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Personal Independence Payment and Disability Living Allowance
Council Tax Reduction schemes
Some Social Fund payments, such as Winter Fuel, Cold Weather, Funeral Expenses and Budgeting Loans
Older benefits that are now closed to new claims, such as Income Support, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit
Many Social Security Scotland benefits, such as Adult Disability Payment and the Scottish Child Payment

What is not counted as public funds

Benefits based on National Insurance contributions are not public funds. GOV.UK lists these:

New Style Jobseeker's Allowance and New Style Employment and Support Allowance
State Pension
Statutory Sick Pay, and statutory maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental pay
Maternity Allowance
Bereavement Support Payment and Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
Guardian's Allowance if you are receiving Child Benefit

Practical points

Whether you can claim anything depends on both your immigration permission and the rules of the benefit, so a benefit not being a "public fund" does not mean you will qualify.
If you are working, make sure your National Insurance is being recorded. See National Insurance number for people new to the UK.
Claiming a public fund when you are not allowed to can affect later applications, so get advice first. See getting immigration advice safely.
For general help on what you might be able to claim, see benefits you might be missing, but check it against your own conditions.
Free help is listed on our free help page.

Where to learn more

This guide is for general information only and is not immigration, legal, tax or financial advice. Your own situation depends on your immigration permission and circumstances, and rules can change, so check the official pages and get advice from a regulated adviser if you are unsure.