What does ‘no recourse to public funds’ mean?
‘No recourse to public funds’ is a condition imposed by the government on people who have migrated to the UK. This applies to people in a range of situations, including people seeking asylum, people who are carers for someone with settled status in the UK, visitors and students.
The condition means that the individual is not allowed to access most public funds, in the form of benefits and government services.
A person who has no recourse to public funds is barred from accessing:
- Sure Start Maternity Grant
- Homelessness assistance
- Social housing (apart from in very specific circumstances)
- Child benefit
- Universal credit
- Disability benefits
- Housing benefit
- Council tax reduction
- Winter fuel payment
The policy of “no recourse to public funds” (i.e. barring certain migrants from accessing government benefits and services) was first introduced by the New Labour government in 1999. In 2012, it was expanded by Conservative Home Secretary Theresa May to include migrants who moving to the UK to be with their British families. It was introduced as part of her “Hostile Environment” approach, with the explicit aim of making life difficult for people seeking asylum or fleeing difficult circumstances.
“The aim is to create, here in Britain, a really hostile environment for illegal immigrants.” – Theresa May, Home Secretary, 2012
Impact on the women we support
No recourse to public funds has a huge and devastating impact on the women we support with our baby boxes. Most are destitute due to this policy, living only on the meagre allowance given to them by the Home Office.
Almost all the women PramDepot supports are living either in Home Office accommodation or in shared private accommodation. In both cases, accommodation very is cramped, with parents and their children having one room for all their living space and possessions. Accommodation is often unsuitable or unsafe, lacking basic facilities and shared with strangers. Having no recourse to public funds means they are not eligible for homelessness assistance, most forms of social housing, or housing benefit.
Women are also barred from receiving the Sure Start Maternity Grant. Instead, they can apply for a smaller payment of £300, but only in the 8 weeks before or after their baby is due. For the vast majority of people seeking asylum, it is next to impossible to purchase all the items they need for their new baby with this allowance.
Restricting access to resources and healthcare has also had deadly consequences for the babies of women with no recourse to public funds. An investigation by gal-dem and Liberty Investigates found that between 2017 and 2022 eight babies living in Home Office accommodation died before reaching their first birthday. They also found evidence of numerous miscarriages and stillbirths for women living in Home Office accommodation.
Resisting the hostile environment
Asylum seekers and campaigning groups have been working hard for years to resist the hostile environment and create a society that welcomes those seeking refuge and a better life. You can help them. Here are some organisations you can support: