Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what welfare, housing and health benefits foreign nationals are entitled to; from what point after their arrival in the UK are they entitled to those benefits; and what criteria are used to assess their eligibility.

All claimants, regardless of their nationality, must demonstrate that they are resident in the UK and have an immigration status that qualifies them to receive taxpayer-funded benefits.

Migrants with recourse to public funds are subject to the same eligibility criteria as any other claimant, including the need to be ‘habitually resident’ (meaning they have made the UK their home) in addition to having a legal right to claim benefits.

Most non-UK nationals are granted an immigration status by the Home Office with a ‘No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF)’ condition. Individuals may have their NRPF condition removed once they are granted Indefinite Leave to Remain/settled status, which is usually after 5 years. These claimants can still access contribution-based benefits such as New-Style Jobseeker’s Allowance.

The full eligibility criteria, including the residency tests, for each benefit type can be found on GOV.UK.