If you have a residence permit that allows you to live in the UK, it may include the immigration condition that you have No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF). NRPF means you will not be able to claim most benefits, tax credits or housing assistance that are paid by central government.

NRPF is a condition imposed on people who are subject to immigration control in the UK, unless an exception applies.

This includes Non-UK nationals granted permission to:

• visit
• study
• work
• join family in the UK

A person in this position should not automatically be refused a service without further investigation into their circumstances to ensure that they are not wrongly denied a service they may be entitled to.

Who is affected

Immigration regulations, and therefore the rights and entitlements of European Economic Area (EEA) nationals, have changed. EEA nationals are required to meet the eligibility requirements in order to be able to claim welfare benefits and housing support.

People with NRPF are at high risk of homelessness and destitution because they cannot access mainstream housing, welfare benefits and employment.

The following categories of people will also have no recourse to public funds:

• people who stay beyond the end of their Visa
• asylum seekers
• ‘appeal rights exhausted’ (ARE) asylum seekers

Visas and immigration paperwork

If there is no mention of NRPF on a person's residence permit (commonly referred to as a Visa) it means that they do have recourse to public funds.

However if No Recourse to Public Funds appears on a person’s Visa, it means that they would not have access to:

• Local Authority housing
• Local Authority homelessness assistance
• most welfare benefits provided by the DWP

This person is not allowed to claim most benefits, but this does not mean that they have no other rights or entitlements. This includes access to benefits that are not considered public funds for the purposes of immigration.

How to challenge or appeal

There may be instances where this condition can be challenged or appealed, and it is advisable to seek immigration advice before pursuing either of these steps.