General
Advice and Support for Non-UK Nationals
Are you affected by a status of ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’?
Help if you have a status of 'No Recourse to Public Funds'
If you are not a British citizen your visa may state that you have ‘no recourse to public funds’ and you may have been told that no-one can help you.
Public funds do include most benefits, applying for social housing or making a homeless application. However, if you’re struggling because you’re not allowed to claim public funds, there might be other support you can get. You might also be able to apply to have the no public funds condition removed.
The NRPF Network is a national network safeguarding the welfare of destitute families, adults and care leavers who are unable to access benefits due to their immigration status. Please be aware that this is a guide developed for English practitioners but does include information for Scotland too.
Getting a no public funds condition removed
You might be able to apply to remove the condition if you’re on a partner, parent or British National (Overseas) visa. You can apply if either:
- you won’t have enough money to feed yourself or your family – or afford somewhere to live
- your child’s welfare might be harmed because of your low income
If you need help to apply or you’re not sure if you should apply, get help from a specialist adviser, e.g. Citizens Advice Bureau
If you’re ready to apply, you can get the form to remove the no public funds condition on the government (gov.uk) website. You can find advice about how to apply further down on the gov.uk page, starting where it says ‘Evidence required’.
Find out more about your rights:
The NRPF Network has a useful online resource to help establish a family’s support options when they are destitute or at risk of homelessness, and have no recourse to public funds. Please be aware that this is mainly a guide for English practitioners but does include some information relating to Scotland. The Support for migrant families web tool is useful for finding out pathways to support. In Scotland families can be referred for help for their children due to legislation passed under Section 22 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995.
Home – Citizens’ Rights Project (citizensrightsproject.org)
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On the gov.uk website, you will find this guide to helping access information on your immigration status :
Your immigration status: an introduction for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens
If you scroll down the page to:
Help accessing your immigration status
You can contact the UKVI Resolution Centre if you need help accessing or using the online immigration status services :
Telephone: 0300 790 6268
Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 8am to 8pm UK local time
Saturday and Sunday, 9:30am to 4:30pm UK local time
If you cannot contact UK 0300 numbers, use +44 (0)203 875 4669.
The Resolution Centre provides telephone and email support to all account holders using the online immigration status services, and BRC/P holders using the online right to work or right to rent services.
This includes supporting users through the online journey:
- helping them to access or recover their account
- helping them to update their personal details
- sharing status on behalf of account holders if they are unable to do so themselves
The Resolution Centre will also be able to assist users who are experiencing technical issues with their online immigration status, and where necessary, enable account holders’ status to be verified through alternative means.
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The Scottish Government takes a human rights-centred approach to Immigration policy. Here are some of the organisations who support this work:
JustRight Scotland Scottish Refugee & Migrants Centre