Last updated: 26th August 2026

What is an NRPF condition?

If the Home Office gives you permission to be in the UK, there may be rules about what you can or can not do attached to that permission. These are called conditions. 

One of these conditions can be No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF). This means that you cannot access certain kinds of financial help or housing support that are classed as public funds.

If you have an NRPF condition, your eVisa or Home Office decision may say:

“No access to public funds” or “No public funds”.

Having NRPF does not mean that you cannot get any support from the government or your local council. Some types of support are not public funds.

For example, NRPF does not stop you from seeing a GP or accessing state-funded school education. Depending on your circumstances, you may also be able to get other support that is not classed as a public fund.

What are public funds?

Public funds are certain types of financial help and housing support that are listed in immigration law.

If you have an NRPF condition, you will usually not be able to access public funds.

Public funds include:

• Universal Credit;
• Child Benefit;
• Housing Benefit;
• Pension Credit;
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP);
• Disability Living Allowance;
• Attendance Allowance;
• Carer’s Allowance;
• Council Tax Reduction;
• some benefits paid in Scotland, such as Scottish Child Payment and Adult Disability Payment;
• social housing; and
• help from a local council if you are homeless.

Some older types of benefits are also public funds including income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income Support and tax credits. Most people cannot make a new claim for these benefits, but some people may still be receiving them.

There are other public funds on the full legal list, and the list can change. The Home Office’s current list confirms the benefits above and identifies social housing, homelessness assistance and Council Tax Reduction schemes as public funds.

Having an NRPF condition does not mean that you cannot receive any money, services or other support from the government or your local council. 

What is not a public fund?

Some financial support is not classed as a public fund.

This includes:

• New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance;
• New Style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA);
• Maternity Allowance;
• State Pension;
• Statutory Sick Pay;
• Bereavement Support Payment; and
• payments from an employer connected to having or caring for a child, such as Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Paternity Pay and Statutory Adoption Pay.

Some of these payments depend on your work record or National Insurance contributions. National Insurance is money that you may pay from your wages when you work in the UK. Having NRPF does not stop you from applying for these payments, but you will still need to meet the rules for the particular payment. 

Access to healthcare

It is important to remember that NHS healthcare is not a public fund.

Having NRPF does not stop you from registering with or seeing a GP. A GP is a doctor who provides general medical care in the community.

GP care is part of what the NHS calls primary healthcare. Primary healthcare means the healthcare you usually use first when you need medical help, rather than treatment after you have been admitted to hospital.

This includes things such as:

• appointments with a GP or nurse;
• treatment provided by a GP; and
• other NHS services provided in the community.

GP and nurse appointments in primary care are free for everyone in England, regardless of immigration status. You do not need proof of immigration status to register with a GP.

Separate rules apply to some hospital treatment, and some people may have to pay.

Support from social services

Support from social services is not classed as a public fund. Having NRPF does not automatically stop you from getting this support.

For example, a local council may have responsibilities to support a child who needs help or an adult who has certain care and support needs.

There are different rules depending on your circumstances and where in the UK you live.

Read more about getting support from your local council.

Education and free school meals

State-funded school education is not a public fund. Having NRPF does not normally prevent a child from going to a state-funded school.

Free school meals are also not a public fund. However, the rules about who can get them are different across the UK:

• England: children in families with NRPF can get free school meals if the family meets the income and savings rules. This includes families with work or Student visas and families without current immigration permission. Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 also get free school meals automatically.
• Wales: all children in primary school can get free school meals. For older children, different eligibility rules apply. Local councils are encouraged to provide free school meals where a child cannot qualify because their family has NRPF.
• Scotland: all children in Primary 1 to Primary 5 can get free school meals. Councils can also provide free school meals to families who are experiencing financial hardship, including families with NRPF.
• Northern Ireland: children in families receiving Home Office asylum support can get free school meals. Other children need to meet the Northern Ireland eligibility rules.

Ask your child’s school or local council if you are not sure whether your child can get free school meals. The official UK Gov guidance on free school meals for families with NRPF is here.

Who may be unable to access public funds?

The rules about public funds depend on your immigration status. This means whether you have permission to be in the UK, what type of permission you have, or whether you are seeking asylum. 

Some people have an NRPF condition attached to their permission to be in the UK. Other people may be unable to access public funds for different reasons.

If you have permission with an NRPF condition

NRPF is often attached to temporary permission to be in the UK.

For example, you may have an NRPF condition if you have permission because of:

• your family or private life;
• work;
• study;
• the Hong Kong BN(O) route;
• visiting the UK; or
• another temporary immigration route.

Some children who have permission to join or stay with a close relative who has protection status can also have an NRPF condition. This is called the Child Relative (Sponsors with Protection) route. The current Immigration Rules say that permission on this route will normally have a no-public-funds condition, although there are exceptions.

Not everyone with temporary permission has NRPF. For example, people granted refugee status or humanitarian protection have access to public funds.

If you have an NRPF condition and need access to public funds, you may be able to ask the Home Office to remove it. Different rules apply depending on the type of permission you have. We explain this later on this page.

If you do not currently have permission to be in the UK

You will usually be unable to access public funds if you need permission to be in the UK but do not currently have it. 

There are many reasons why someone may be living in the UK without current permission. This can include difficulties caused by the immigration system or things that have happened in someone’s life.

For example:

• your permission to be in the UK ended and you do not currently have another form of permission to stay. This can happen for many reasons. For example, immigration application fees may be too expensive, the rules may be difficult to understand, you may not have been able to get legal advice, or you may have experienced domestic abuse or exploitation;
• you entered the UK without permission when you needed permission to enter. People may enter the UK in this way for many different reasons.

The Home Office also uses the term No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) for people who do not currently have permission to be in the UK.

This is different from having an NRPF condition on a visa or other permission. In both situations, the person will usually be unable to access public funds.

If you are seeking asylum

If you are seeking asylum, different rules apply. While you are waiting for a decision on your asylum claim, you will usually not be able to access public funds.

If you do not have enough money or somewhere to live, you may be able to get asylum support from the Home Office. Asylum support can include somewhere to live, financial support, or both.

If your asylum claim is successful and you are granted refugee status or humanitarian protection, you will have access to public funds. You will still need to meet the normal rules for the particular financial or housing support you apply for. Current Home Office guidance confirms that people granted refugee status or humanitarian protection have recourse to public funds.

If your asylum claim is refused, the support you can get may change. If you have no further right of appeal, you may still be able to get some asylum support in certain circumstances. For example, some people who make further submissions after their asylum claim has been refused can apply for section 4 support if they would otherwise be destitute. Families with a child under 18 will normally continue to receive section 95 asylum support while they remain in the UK.

Other types of restrictions on access to public funds 

Some people do not have an NRPF condition but may still have restrictions on some public funds.

For example:

• if you have pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may need to meet extra rules before you can get some benefits; or
• If you came to the UK as an Adult Dependent Relative, your sponsor may have agreed to support you without public funds for a certain period.

Different rules apply in these situations.

If you are waiting for a decision on a new application (section 3C leave)

If you applied to extend or change your permission before your previous permission ended, your permission may continue automatically while you wait for a decision. This is called section 3C leave.

If you have section 3C leave, the conditions on your previous permission will usually continue. For example, if you had an NRPF condition, this will usually continue while you are waiting. If you had access to public funds, this will also usually continue.

This means that the expiry date on your previous permission passing does not always mean that you no longer have permission to be in the UK.

How do I know if I have an NRPF condition?

If you have permission to be in the UK, you can check your eVisa.

Your eVisa is a digital record of your permission to be in the UK. It shows information about your permission and any conditions that apply to you.

If you have an NRPF condition, your eVisa may say:

“No access to public funds” or “No public funds”

You can also check the Home Office letter or email that told you that you had been given permission to be in the UK.

If information on your eVisa is wrong, you can report the error to UK Visas and Immigration. For example, you can report it if your eVisa shows the wrong type of permission.

If you have NRPF and do not have enough money for your basic needs

Having an NRPF condition can make it difficult to pay for housing, food and other things you need day to day.

The Home Office uses the word destitute when someone does not have enough money or support to meet their basic needs.

The Home Office may decide that you are destitute if:

• you do not have a safe and suitable place to live and you cannot afford to get one; or
• you have somewhere to live, but you cannot afford the things you need for everyday life.

The Home Office calls the things you need for everyday life “essential living needs”.

These will be different for each person and family. They can include:

• food;
• heating, electricity and water;
• clothes and toiletries;
• travel for important appointments or everyday activities;
• phone or internet costs;
• costs connected to a disability or health condition; and
• some costs for social, cultural or religious activities.

The Home Office will look at your individual circumstances. This includes where you live, whether you have children or other people who depend on you, and whether you or someone in your family has a disability.

It may also look at how much you spend and why you need to spend it.

There is no single fixed amount of money that the Home Office uses to decide whether someone is destitute.

If you are likely to become destitute soon

You do not have to wait until you have no money or nowhere to live before asking for help. The Home Office also looks at whether you are likely to become destitute soon. It calls this being at “imminent risk of destitution”. Imminent means that something is likely to happen soon.

The Home Office will normally look at whether you are likely to have suitable accommodation and enough money for your essential needs for the next 3 months.

For example, you may be at risk of becoming destitute soon if:

• you are likely to lose your accommodation;
• someone who gives you money or somewhere to live will soon stop supporting you;
• you are likely to lose your job or your income will go down;
• your rent or other essential costs are increasing; or
• your savings are running out

What help may be available?

If you do not have enough money for your basic needs, or you are likely to become destitute soon, there may be different kinds of help available.

Depending on your circumstances:

• your local council or social services may be able to support you; and
• if you have an NRPF condition, you may be able to ask the Home Office to remove it.

We explain both options below.

Support from your local council or social services

Having NRPF does not mean that your local council or social services cannot support you. Social care support is not a public fund. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to get accommodation, money for essential needs, care or other practical support.

The law is different in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, but similar types of support are available across the UK.

If you have children

Children’s social care may have a responsibility to support your family if your child needs help.

For example, this may apply if:

• your family has nowhere to live, or has been asked to leave their accommodation;
• you do not have enough money to meet your child’s basic needs; or
• your child has additional needs, for example because they have a disability.

Support can include somewhere for your family to live, money for essential living costs or other practical support.

The law that provides this support is:

• England: section 17 of the Children Act 1989;
• Wales: section 37 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014;
• Scotland: section 22 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995; and
• Northern Ireland: Article 18 of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995.

You do not need to know the name of the law before asking for help.

If you are an adult with care and support needs

You may also be able to get support if you need help with everyday life because of:

• a physical health condition or disability;
• a mental health condition;
• a learning disability; or
• another condition that makes it difficult for you to manage everyday activities without support.

For example, you may need help with eating, washing, dressing, moving around or staying safe.

You can ask social services for an assessment of your care and support needs.

There are some restrictions. Social care will not normally provide accommodation and financial support to an adult only because they do not have enough money. There usually needs to be a separate care and support need.

If you do not currently have permission to be in the UK, additional rules may apply. This does not mean that you should not ask for help. The council or Health and Social Care Trust will need to look at your individual circumstances.

Asking the Home Office to remove an NRPF condition

If you have an NRPF condition and need access to public funds, you may be able to ask the Home Office to remove it. This is usually called making a Change of Conditions request.

If the Home Office agrees, you will have access to public funds. This does not mean that you will automatically get financial help or housing support. You will still need to apply for the support you need and meet the normal rules for that support.

The rules depend on the type of permission you have. For some immigration routes, there may also be risks to your existing permission.

If you have permission based on family or private life

If you have permission on certain family or private life routes, the Home Office may remove your NRPF condition if:

• you are destitute;
• you are at risk of becoming destitute soon;
• there are reasons connected to the welfare of a child which mean you need access to public funds; or
• there are exceptional circumstances affecting your income or essential costs.

If you are on the Child Relative (Sponsors with Protection) route

Different rules apply if you are a child with permission to join or stay with a close relative who has protection status in the UK.

The Home Office may allow access to public funds if:

• your close relative in the UK is destitute or at risk of becoming destitute soon;
• there are reasons connected to your welfare as a child which mean you need access to public funds; or
• there are exceptional circumstances affecting your income or essential costs.

If you have a Hong Kong BN(O) visa

If you have permission on the Hong Kong BN(O) route, the Home Office may remove your NRPF condition if:

• you are destitute;
• you are at risk of becoming destitute soon;
• there are reasons connected to the welfare of a child; or
• there are exceptional circumstances affecting your income or essential costs.

If you have another type of visa or permission

You can also ask the Home Office to remove an NRPF condition if you have another type of temporary permission.

For example, this can include:

• Skilled Worker visas;
• Student visas;
• Graduate visas; or
• other temporary immigration routes.

However, the rules are much stricter. The Home Office will normally only consider removing NRPF if there are very strong reasons for it to make an exception. The Home Office guidance calls these “particularly compelling circumstances”. Simply being unable to support yourself is not usually enough on its own.

If the Home Office accepts that there are particularly compelling circumstances, you must also show at least one of the following:

• you are destitute or at risk of becoming destitute;
• there are reasons connected to the welfare of a child; or
• there are exceptional circumstances affecting your income or essential costs

There may also be a risk to your existing immigration permission.

The information you give in your request may cause the Home Office to look at whether you still meet the rules for your current permission.

In some cases, the Home Office may consider whether your existing permission should be cancelled.

This does not mean that making a Change of Conditions request will automatically cause your permission to be cancelled.

Because of this risk, it is particularly important to try to get immigration advice before making a request if you have permission on a work, study, Graduate or another route outside the family, private life, Child Relative or Hong Kong BN(O) routes.

What happens after you make a Change of Conditions application?

The Home Office will look at the information and evidence you have provided. It may ask you for more information before making a decision. If the Home Office contacts you, check what it is asking for and when you need to respond. If you cannot provide the information by the deadline, explain why as soon as possible.

How long will you wait for a decision?

There is no general fixed decision time for Change of Conditions applications.

However, the urgent prioritisation rules explained above apply to people who are street homeless or have serious vulnerabilities. Some applications can take a long time. If you are experiencing serious hardship and there is a long delay, you may want to get legal advice about whether the delay can be legally challenged. 

If your Change of Conditions request is successful

If the Home Office agrees to remove your NRPF condition, you will have access to public funds. The Home Office may ask you to provide biometric information, such as your fingerprints and photograph, before it completes the change. It should tell you if you need to do this. Make sure you keep a copy of the Home Office decision. 

Remember, having your NRPF condition removed does not mean that financial help or housing support will start automatically. It means that the NRPF condition no longer prevents you from accessing public funds. You will still need to apply for the support you need. You will also need to meet the normal rules for that support. For example, there may be rules about:

• your income;
• your savings;
• your work history; or
• where you normally live.

Button: Find out more about financial help and housing support 

Check your eVisa

After the Home Office removes your NRPF condition, check your eVisa. Make sure that it no longer says “no public funds” or “no access to public funds”. If your eVisa is wrong, you can report the problem to UK Visas and Immigration.

What happens when you next apply for permission to stay?

Having your NRPF condition removed does not always mean that you will continue to have access to public funds when you next apply for permission to stay.

If you are on a family, private life, Child Relative or Hong Kong BN(O) route, the Home Office will look again at whether you meet the rules for access to public funds.

A previous decision to remove your NRPF condition can be important evidence that you still need access to public funds. However, the Home Office will look at your circumstances again.

If you are on another immigration route and the Home Office removed NRPF as an exception, you will stay on that immigration route. When you next apply for permission, you will still need to meet the rules for that route.

If you have a Hong Kong BN(O) visa, having your NRPF condition removed does not stop you from qualifying for settlement on the BN(O) route after 5 years, if you meet the other rules.

If your Change of Conditions request is refused

The Home Office should tell you why it has decided not to remove your NRPF condition. The reason will depend on your immigration route and the information and evidence you gave. For example, the Home Office may decide that you have not shown that you meet the rules that apply to your route. It may also decide that there is not enough reliable evidence about your income, spending, accommodation or other financial circumstances.

The Home Office may also look at how you spend your money. For example, it may consider whether money was intentionally given or loaned to somebody else, or whether there was significant spending on things it considers non-essential. 

If your application is refused, you might be able to make a legal challenge against the refusal through a judicial review.  This can be expensive and complicated, so it might be easier to make a new application to remove your NRPF condition, providing more information or evidence to explain any issues in the refusal letter.

If you have a work, Student, Graduate or another temporary visa

There is an additional risk if you asked the Home Office to remove NRPF on a route where it had to make an exception.

This can include:

• Skilled Worker;
• Student;
• Graduate; and
• other temporary immigration routes.

Information in your Change of Conditions request may cause the Home Office to look at whether you still meet the rules for your current immigration permission.

If the Home Office refuses to remove NRPF and thinks the information you gave may show that you no longer meet those rules, your case may be considered by another Home Office team. That team can consider whether your existing permission should be cancelled.

This does not mean that making a Change of Conditions request automatically cancels your permission. A decision to cancel your immigration permission would be a separate Home Office decision. Different rules apply to challenging a cancellation decision. Because of this risk, it is particularly important to try to get immigration advice before making a Change of Conditions request on one of these routes.