Various grants and support are provided by central and local government to help people with the costs of heating, energy, fuel, food, and other services during the current cost of living crisis. Most of this support is not available to people with no recourse to public funds.
Cost of Living Payments are being made by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) throughout 2023 and 2024 to people who are receiving certain means-tested benefits. As the qualifying benefits are all 'public funds' for immigration purposes, a Cost of Living Payment is not available to a person with no recourse to public funds.
The Welsh Government provides the Discretionary Assistance Fund, which offers two grants to people in need who are living in Wales: Emergency Assistance Payments and Individual Assistance Payments. Only the Emergency Assistance Payment is available to people with no recourse to public funds.
The Household Support Fund is funded by the UK government and delivered by local councils in England to provide assistance to residents in need to help with cost of living pressures. Councils have used the fund to provide support in different ways, including through one-off grants to households to help with the costs of food, energy and other essentials.
A payment made by a council from the Household Support Fund is a 'public fund' for immigration purposes, as it is made under section 1 Localism Act 2011. Therefore, a payment or financial grant cannot be made to a resident who has no recourse to public funds. The Home Office may consider that a person has breached their immigration conditions if they have received a financial payment from the Household Support Fund.
Government guidance for councils suggests that residents with no recourse to public funds may only be able to benefit from the Household Support Fund if support is administered to families or people with care needs under section 17 Children Act 1989 or the Care Act 2014. It may also be possible for a person with no recourse to public funds to receive assistance if a different (non-financial) type of support is delivered, such as through a food bank that a council has funded using the Household Support Fund.
Anyone who has no recourse to public funds can contact their local council to find out what support is being offered. If they have leave to remain with NRPF, they may wish to seek advice from an immigration adviser before applying for assistance, particularly if they are offered a payment.
The Warm Home Discount Scheme provides people who are receiving the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit with a £150 discount off their electricity (or, in some cases, gas) bill between October 2023 and March 2024. The discount is administered by the energy provider.
Energy customers in England and Wales who do not get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit but are on a low income may be able to apply to their energy provider for a discount if their property has a high energy cost score. Slightly different requirements apply to energy customers living in Scotland. Government guidance states that a person or their partner will need to get certain means-tested benefits or tax credits in order to qualify for a discount on the basis of having a low income.
As all the qualifying benefits are public funds for immigration purposes, a person with no recourse to public funds will not qualify for the discount, unless they have a partner who is receiving one of the qualifying benefits. As the Warm Home Discount Scheme is not a public fund for immigration purposes, a person who has leave to remain with NRPF will not be breaching their immigration conditions if they receive the Warm Homes Discount from their energy provider.
In June and July 2023, Disability Cost of Living payments were made to people receiving certain disability benefits, most of which are classed as 'public funds'. Therefore, people with no recourse to public funds would not have qualified for the payment. However, there are some instances when a person who is restricted from accessing means-tested benefits can qualify for disability benefits, so may have received the payment. For example, a person with Adult Dependent Relative leave can claim some disability benefits, and a person with pre-settled status can claim Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, or a Personal Independence Payment.
Between October 2022 and March 2023, the Energy Bills Support Scheme (October 2022) provided all households with a domestic electricity connection with a £400 government grant through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. The Energy Bills Support Scheme is not a 'public fund' for immigration purposes, so could be accessed by energy customers with no recourse to public funds.
Pensioner Cost of Living Payments were made in November 2023 to people who qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment. As a Winter Fuel Payment is a public fund, the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment is not available to people with no recourse to public funds.
