The government has announced that funding for the Hong Kong BN(O) UK Welcome Programme will end on 31 March 2026.
The Welcome Programme, introduced in 2021, supports the integration of Hong Kongers arriving on the BN(O) visa route. It has enabled the creation of welcome hubs and services delivered by local authorities and voluntary sector organisations.
The programme also includes funding for councils in England to recover expenses incurred for providing financial assistance to BN(O) visa holders experiencing destitution.
The BN(O) visa is issued with a No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition. However, a person can apply to the Home Office for a Change of Conditions to lift the NRPF condition if they are destitute or at risk of destitution.
When a council provides support to a person with a BN(O) visa who is applying for a Change of Conditions, they can claim funding of up to £2,720 per household through the Welcome Programme. This funding can be used to partially or fully cover costs where statutory duties are engaged and may also enable councils to offer discretionary assistance they might not otherwise have been able to provide.
The government has decided to close the funding ‘due to the low level of demand for this support’. When the programme ends, councils will no longer be able to claim funding for any costs incurred for supporting this group.
What can councils do to support people at risk of destitution
Councils must continue to respond to residents with NRPF who are experiencing destitution in line with their usual duties.
The Welcome Programme guidance states:
‘BN(O)s who do find themselves in financial difficulties can still apply to the Home Office on a ‘Change of Conditions’ application for the removal of the ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ (NRPF) condition.
If approved, this allows them to access certain welfare benefits. Further details on how to remove the NRPF status can be found at: Apply to change your permission to allow access to public funds.
In addition, local authorities may still have a legal duty to help in some situations especially if someone is homeless or at risk of homelessness. BN(O) visa holders in need should contact their local authority.’
When a person or family on the BN(O) visa route presents as homeless or in financial need, councils should first establish whether any statutory duties apply and assist people to access any available support options. This includes:
- Checking eligibility for housing assistance. Councils can subscribe to the RTPF checker to help establish whether a person has access to public funds.
- Consider a referral to children's social care if a family are at risk of homelessness or have insufficient income to meet their basic needs.
- Consider a referral to adult social care if an adult appears to have care and support needs.
- Signposting to benefit advice.
- Signposting to immigration advice for a Change of Conditions.
- Referring to voluntary and community sector services.
Funding for councils is urgently needed
It is understandable, although disappointing, that the destitution fund will be withdrawn. In 2024–25, only 3 households with BN(O) visas were recorded by 91 councils on NRPF Connect as receiving support from children’s or adult social care. This indicates that individuals on this route may be less likely to experience financial hardship or homelessness compared to other immigration routes. Councils that accessed the destitution fund reported that the process was overly complex, and some may have been unaware the funding existed.
Nevertheless, the Welcome Programme funding was the only financial reimbursement councils could receive for supporting people with NRPF. With this ending, there remains no other source of funding to help councils meet statutory social care duties to this group. In 2024–25, councils collectively spent £94 million supporting NRPF households, entirely without government funding.
The government must urgently address this funding gap. The proposed immigration and asylum reforms risk increasing local authority costs as more households living with the NRPF condition will likely require accommodation and financial support in the future. Without funding, councils could face unsustainable pressures in fulfilling their statutory obligations to Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders and other residents with no recourse to public funds.