Benefits

Cost of living support

Support can be available from central and local government to help with the cost of heating, energy, fuel, food and other essentials. Most of these schemes are not available to people with no recourse to public funds (NRPF).

Crisis and Reliance Fund

The Crisis and Resilience Fund is provided to councils to support residents on a low income who are experiencing financial hardship because of a crisis. The fund is intended to provide short‑term crisis support and help build longer‑term financial resilience. The fund replaced the Household Support Fund.

Government guidance explains that where councils are using discretionary powers under section 1 of the Localism Act 2011 to issue payments, these payments are classed as public funds for immigration purposes.

A person with the NRPF condition should not be provided a payment under these powers as the Home Office may determine that they have breached their immigration conditions. 

However, councils may also use the Crisis and Resilience Fund to provide support under other statutory powers, where appropriate, including:

• section 17 of the Children Act 1989
• sections 18, 19 or 20 of the Care Act 2014
• section 2B of the NHS Act 2006

Support provided under these statutory powers is not classed as a public fund for immigration purposes. A person with the NRPF condition can therefore receive this support if it is delivered under one of these powers.

Where a council provides support to a person with NRPF using a power other than section 1 of the Localism Act, the council should give the person written confirmation of the legal basis under which the support has been provided.

Anyone with NRPF can contact their local council to ask what support is available. People with leave to remain subject to an NRPF condition may wish to seek immigration advice before applying for assistance, particularly where a direct payment is offered.

Discretionary Assistance Fund (Wales)

The Welsh Government runs the Discretionary Assistance Fund, which offers two types of grant to people living in Wales.

• The Emergency Assistance Payment helps with essential costs, such as food, gas, electricity, clothing, or emergency travel. A person may qualify if they are experiencing extreme financial hardship, have lost their job, or are waiting for their first benefit payment. People with an NRPF condition can receive this payment if they qualify. The Discretionary Assistance Fund is not a public fund, so receiving this payment does not breach immigration conditions.
• The Individual Assistance Payment helps a person, or someone they care for, live independently at home or in a new property. It is only available to people who receive certain means tested benefits. However, as all the qualifying benefits are public funds, people with NRPF cannot receive an Individual Assistance Payment.

Warm Home Discount Scheme

The Warm Home Discount Scheme provides a £150 discount on electricity bills (or, in some cases, gas bills). The discount is applied by the energy supplier.
People qualify either through receiving the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, or through a low‑income route that requires receipt of certain qualifying benefits. In England and Wales, this may also depend on the property having a high energy cost score. Different eligibility rules apply in Scotland.

As all qualifying routes depend on receipt of benefits that are classed as public funds, a person with no recourse to public funds will not qualify, unless their partner receives a qualifying benefit. The scheme itself is not a public fund, so receiving the discount does not breach immigration conditions.

Page updated: 21 April 2026