Benefits

Benefits that are public funds

Certain benefits and payments are classed as ‘public funds’ for immigration purposes and cannot be accessed by a person who has no recourse to public funds, unless an exception applies. These benefits are listed at paragraph 6 of the Immigration Rules and in the Home Office guidance on public funds. 

Benefits

The following benefits are public funds:

• Attendance Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Child Benefit
• Child Tax Credit
• Council Tax Reduction (also called Council Tax Support)
• Disability Living Allowance
• Housing Benefit
• Income based Employment and Support Allowance
• Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income Support
• Personal Independence Payment
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• State Pension Credit
• Universal Credit
• Working Tax Credit

Social Fund payments

These payments are also classed as public funds:

• Budgeting Loan
• Sure Start Maternity Grant
• Funeral Payment
• Cold Weather Payment
• Winter Fuel Payment

More information about these benefits and payments is available on GOV.UK.

Local welfare payments

These payments are classed as public funds:

• discretionary payments made by councils in England under section 1 of the Localism Act 2011, including some local welfare assistance (this does not include
• payments made under the Energy Rebate Scheme 2022)
• discretionary support payments made under article 135 of the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015
• Domestic Rate Relief (Northern Ireland)
• payments from a welfare fund under the Welfare Funds (Scotland) Act 2015

For more information on these payments, contact the local authority.

Benefits administered by Social Security Scotland

The following Scottish benefits are also classed as public funds:

• Adult Disability Payment
• Carer’s Allowance Supplement
• Carer Support Payment
• Child Disability Payment
• Child Winter Heating Assistance
• Funeral Support Payment
• Job Start Payment
• Pension Age Disability Payment
• Pension Age Winter Heating Payment
• Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance
• Scottish Child Payment
• Winter Heating Payment

More information on Scottish benefits is available from Social Security Scotland.

Page updated: 02 April 2026