No Recourse to Public Funds NRPF

NRPF is an immigration condition restricting access to public funds. This includes many mainstream benefits such as welfare and housing.

Families and individuals may have a right to financial support from social services to avoid destitution or because of complex health needs. If the family or individual is found to be eligible after an assessment, the local authority has a power to support the accommodation and subsistence costs of residents with NRPF.

Am I eligible for support?

The three main support regimes for categories of people with NRPF are:

Group	Supported under	Examples
Destitute families	S17 Children’s Act (1989)	A child is homeless A parent cannot afford to meet the family’s basic living needs
Single adults with care needs	Care Act 2014) S117 Mental Health Act (1983)	An adult requiring care and support due to a substantial disability An adult who has been detained under the Mental Health Act (1983) and requires after-care
Young people leaving care	Children (leaving care) Act (2000)	A young person who has been looked after by the local authority and is turning 18

How do I get support?

If you think you are eligible for local authority support you should present yourself to the relevant social services team in the first instance:

• Children’s Services Referral Team
• Adult Social Services Assessment and Eligibility

If you are a migrant family with NRPF, or a practitioner supporting them, you can also use the NRPF Network's web tool to find out what housing and financial support you may be eligible for.

What if I am not eligible for support?

If you have been assessed as ineligible for local authority NRPF support, the Council cannot ordinarily provide any further financial assistance; although if you wish to return to your home country but do not have the means we may be able to provide limited financial support to help with this.

You can seek free independent advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau and also some charitable organisations offer immigration advice.

Please see below for other organisations that may be able to provide some support.

Where can I get more support?

• Citizens Advice Bureau
• RAMFEL
• Redbridge Foodbank
• Salvation Army
• Voluntary Return Service
• Asylum Support (formerly National Asylum Support Service)