A person who has leave to remain that is subject to the 'no recourse to public funds' (NRPF) condition may be able to claim certain benefits without this affecting their immigration status, where a specific exception applies.
For full details of the exceptions referred to in this section, see the Home Office guidance on public funds.
Eligibility for Child Benefit depends on the parent’s immigration and residence status, not the child’s nationality or immigration status.
An eligible parent may claim Child Benefit regardless of the child’s immigration status. However, where a child has leave to remain with an NRPF condition, immigration advice should be sought before a claim is made to establish whether claiming Child Benefit could have implications for compliance with immigration conditions or future applications.
Where a sole parent, or both parents in a household, have leave to remain with an NRPF condition, they will not be able to claim Child Benefit, even if the child is British.
A parent with NRPF may only be able to claim Child Benefit where an exception applies, for example as a result of a reciprocal social security agreement between the UK and their country of nationality.
A person who has indefinite leave to remain as the adult dependent relative of a person settled in the UK will normally be subject to a maintenance undertaking that was made by their sponsoring relative.
Where a person is subject to a maintenance undertaking, they are generally excluded from accessing public funds for the first five years of their residence in the UK, or from the date the undertaking was given (whichever is later).
Some benefits, including Child Benefit, may be claimed while a person remains subject to a maintenance undertaking. However, access to most benefits is restricted until:
A person subject to a maintenance undertaking would usually need to seek advice from a benefits adviser to establish what support may be available during this period.
Nationals of countries with reciprocal social security agreements with the UK may be able to access certain benefits.
To qualify, a person would usually need to be:
The countries covered by reciprocal social security agreements are listed in the Home Office guidance on public funds.
Page updated: 08 May 2026
Adult relative of a person in the UK who is a British citizen, has settled status, refugee leave or humanitarian protection, and who requires long-term personal care as a result of age, illness, or disability, when this care is unavailable or cannot be provided by anyone in their country of origin.
Immigration permission with no time limit on the length of stay in the UK.
