This is a question that we frequently get asked regarding Thai nationals who have been granted Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), you will have access to public funds. Unlike people with Further Leave to Remain (FLR) in the UK, will only granted on the condition that the person has no recourse to public funds.
However, as with many cases with UK Immigration, it is not quite as black and white as it may seem. As of 24 April 2019, Home Office guidelines stated: “There are exceptions for some benefits and if you are in any doubt, you should contact the department or agency that issues it. This will often be the Department for Work and Pensions or HM Revenue & Customs.”
It is important to understand what is classed as public funds. As a general rule, they are those benefits that are given to people on low incomes or receive housing support. Presently, these are defined as:
- income-based jobseeker’s allowance
- income support
- child tax credit
- universal credit
- working tax credit
- a social fund payment
- child benefit
- housing benefit
- council tax benefit
- council tax reduction
- domestic rate relief (Northern Ireland)
- state pension credit
- attendance allowance
- severe disablement allowance
- personal independence payment
- carer’s allowance
- disability living allowance
- an allocation of local authority housing
- local authority homelessness assistance
It is therefore also important to also understand that benefits that are directly connected to National Insurance contributions (NICs) are not classed as public funds as they are an entitlement based upon your contributions. If you were a UK Residence Permit holder you would be entitled to these government funds on the assumption that you had made the necessary NICs. These benefits include:
- contribution-based jobseeker’s allowance
- incapacity benefit
- retirement pension
- widow’s benefit and bereavement benefit
- guardian’s allowance
- statutory maternity pay”
We can help!
We would like to stress that this information is provided for guidance purposes only. However, we can help your Thai girlfriend or wife to apply for any type of UK Visa and give you more advice that is tailored to your personal circumstances. If this is something that you would find useful, you can call us on +66 (0)80 102 2328, +66 (0) 38 420 313 or +44 (0) 20 8133 8059, email us on: info@thaivisaexpress.com or alternatively contact us via our website.