In England and Wales, a person detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 for treatment may be entitled to aftercare when they are discharged from hospital.
Aftercare is arranged by the NHS (Integrated Care Boards in England or Local Health Boards in Wales) together with local authority social care services.
Aftercare is not classed as a public fund for immigration purposes. This means it can be provided regardless of a person’s immigration status, including where they have no recourse to public funds (NRPF).
A person may be entitled to aftercare if they were detained in hospital under one of the following sections of the Mental Health Act:
Aftercare services must be provided free of charge and is not subject to overseas visitor charging rules. Further information is available on the the NHS website.
Aftercare services are provided under section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983. They must:
They may include a range of support, such as healthcare, social care and accommodation.
Accommodation may be provided as part of an aftercare package where this is necessary to meet a need arising from a person’s mental health condition and to reduce the risk of readmission to hospital. This will usually be supported accommodation.
If a person with NRPF is being discharged from hospital and is homeless, but does not require accommodation as part of their aftercare, the local authority may need to carry out a needs assessment to decide whether accommodation can be provided under:
Further information is available in our pages on social care support for adults with NRPF.
Page updated: 24 June 2026
