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  1. 1. Immigration conditions
  2. 2. What are public funds?
  3. 3. Who has no recourse to public funds (NRPF)?
  4. 4. Who has recourse to public funds?
  5. 5. Section 3C leave
  6. 6. EEA nationals and family members
  7. 7. Confirming immigration status and access to public funds

Who has recourse to public funds?

A person who has recourse to public funds will be able to access benefits and local authority housing assistance if they qualify for these.

A person can access public funds when they have one of the following types of immigration status:

  • Indefinite leave to enter or remain (unless they are granted indefinite leave as an adult dependent relative)
  • Right of abode
  • Exempt from immigration control such as Irish citizens
  • Refugee status
  • Humanitarian protection 
  • Leave to remain granted under the Ukraine Scheme
  • Leave to remain granted under the family or private life rules, when they have been accepted by the Home Office as being destitute or at risk of imminent destitution
  • Hong Kong BN(O) visa, when they have been accepted by the Home Office as being destitute or at risk of imminent destitution
  • Pre-settled status granted under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) or a pending EUSS application, although they will need to satisfy a right to reside test to qualify for benefits and local authority housing assistance
  • Leave to remain granted to a person who has received a conclusive grounds decision that they are a victim of trafficking or modern day slavery
  • Leave to remain granted under the Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession
  • Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Child (UASC) leave

When a person does not have a document to confirm their immigration status, they should not automatically be refused a service without further investigation into their full circumstances. 

Page updated: 06 June 2025

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Immigration terms

Adult dependent relative

Adult relative of a person in the UK who is a British citizen, has settled status, refugee leave or humanitarian protection, and who requires long-term personal care  as a result of age, illness, or disability, when this care is unavailable or cannot be provided by anyone in their country of origin.
Humanitarian protection

Granted when a person is recognised as having a real risk of serious harm or well-founded fear of persecution in their country of origin, but not for any reason set out under the UN Refugee Convention 1951, usually following an asylum application.
Refugee status

Granted to a person who is recognised under the United Nations Refugee Convention 1951 as having a well-founded fear of persecution in their country of origin for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion. A person may be granted refugee status after applying to the Home Office for asylum or entering the UK on a resettlement scheme.