Colchester City of Sanctuary

NRPF is a condition imposed on someone’s immigration status under section 115 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. This states that a person has ‘no recourse to public funds’ if they are ‘subject to immigration control’. Individual’s with NRPF have no entitlement to: 

• certain welfare benefits 

• homelessness assistance; and 

• an allocation of social housing through the council register. 

You might have NRPF if you have: 

• a 'grant of temporary permission' to enter or stay in the UK 

• no permission to enter or stay in the UK. 

If your permission to enter or stay in the UK has a 'maintenance undertaking' (which means a family member said they’d give you somewhere to live and support you financially during your stay), you also won't be able to get certain benefits.   

For more information about public funds and rights to it as someone not from the UK, visit the NRPF Network website.  

Social care services 

Essex County Council provides various types of social care to adults living in the community who have care and support needs and can also take action when an adult with care needs is at risk of abuse or neglect. 

Social care is not a 'public fund' for immigration purposes and can be provided to a person who has no recourse to public funds. 

Social care can also be provided to people seeking asylum who are accommodated by the Home Office.  

Social care includes: 

• Care packages  

• Direct payments to enable a person to arrange their own care 

• Residential care and supported living placements 

• Safeguarding inquiry and plan when an adult with care and support needs is at risk of abuse or neglect 

When a person with no recourse to public funds qualifies for care and support, they would need to be financially assessed in the usual way to determine whether they are required to contribute to their care.  

When a person with no recourse to public funds qualifies for care and support and is homeless or does not have sufficient income to meet their housing and/or basic living needs, then, in some cases, Essex County Council can also provide accommodation and financial support. If the person has no lawful status in the UK then a restriction on the provision of care and support may apply.  

There are three main groups who might be able to get NRPF support from Essex County Council: 

• destitute families (families who are very poor and can't live without support) 

• single adults with care needs 

• young people leaving care. 

You will need an assessment of need by social services to check if you are eligible for support. Some people can only receive support if that is necessary to stop a breach of their human rights. Social services may make an extra assessment to see if this is a risk. 

Get support if you have no recourse to public funds (NRPF). 

There are two main groups who can apply to social care for assistance: 

Families who are destitute or who are at risk of being destitute. This includes families who are experiencing homelessness or who are struggling to meet their family’s essential needs.  Contact the Children's Social Care and Family Solutions team at 0345 603 7627 and ask for the Children's Line. 

You can also fill in their online Request for Support form. 

Single adults with care needs. This includes adults with complex needs who require care and support due to a disability. Contact the Essex Adult Social Care team, which provides an advice, information and assessment service to those in need. 

Call 0345 603 7630 from Monday to Thursday (8:45am to 5pm) & Friday (8:45am to 4:30pm)

Out of hours telephone: 0345 606 1212 

Email: socialcaredirect@essex.gov.uk 

Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession (formerly DDVC) 

The Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession (MVDAC) enables certain people who have leave to enter or remain as a partner to gain access to public funds following a relationship breakdown with their partner due to domestic abuse. As most people with leave as a partner have no recourse to public funds, the concession provides an essential means of accessing benefits and local authority housing assistance when a victim of domestic abuse would otherwise be left without accommodation or funds to meet their basic living needs following separation from their partner. 

It is essential that anyone who separates from a partner due to domestic abuse is gets legal advice from an immigration adviser to find out what their options are, including whether the MVDAC is the right route for them. Some groups that can apply for the concession will not be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) on the basis that they are a victim of domestic abuse. 

Support locally 

RAMA (Refugee, Migrant and Asylum seeker Agency) in Colchester can help with referrals to Social Care and are able to support with applying for a MVDAC or a change of conditions to remove your NRPF condition.  

RAMA House, 31 Eld Lane, Colchester, CO1 1LS 

Telephone: 01026 638454 

Website: RAMA – Refugee, Asylum Seeker & Migrant Action