For immigration purposes, ‘public funds’ refers to:
Many other benefits, services or support schemes provided by the government or local councils are not considered public funds for immigration purposes and can be accessed by a person with no recourse to public funds. However, some of these services may still require a person to:
The immigration-related requirements for commonly accessed public services are set out in our rights and entitlements pages.
For further information, see the Home Office public funds guidance for caseworkers.
Page updated: 17 March 2026
