「Public Funds」是指英國政府為低收入人士提供的福利、Tax Credits或住房援助。英國大部份的移民簽證,包括BNO Visa,不能使用Public Funds。根據Home Office 2020年6月12日出版的文件,在 section 115 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 法例下,persons subject to immigration control are excluded from entitlement to a number of welfare benefits unless they fall into a prescribed group。
另外, Paragraph 6 of the Immigration Rules 定義以下的福利為入境條例下的「Public Funds」。包括:
- housing under Part VI or VII of the Housing Act 1996, under Part II of the Housing Act 1985, Part I or II of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987, Part II of the Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 or Part II of the Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 1988
- attendance allowance under Part III of the Social Security Contribution and Benefits Act 1992
- severe disablement allowance under Part III of the Social Security Contribution and Benefits Act 1992
- carer’s allowance and disability living allowance under Part III of the Social Security Contribution and Benefits Act 1992
- income support under Part VII of the Social Security Contribution and Benefits Act 1992
- council tax benefit under Part VII of the Social Security Contribution and Benefits Act 1992
- housing benefit under Part VII of the Social Security Contribution and Benefits Act 1992
- a social fund payment under Part VIII of the Social Security Contribution and Benefits Act 1992
- child benefit under Part IX of the Social Security Contribution and Benefits Act 1992
- income based jobseeker’s allowance under the Jobseekers Act 1995
- income related allowance under Part 1 of the Welfare Reform Act 2007
- (employment and support allowance) state pension credit under the State Pension Credit Act 2002
- child tax credit under Part 1 of the Tax Credits Act 2002
- working tax credit under Part 1 of the Tax Credits Act 2002
- universal Credit under Part 1 of the Welfare Reform Act 2012
- Personal Independence Payment under Part 4 of the Welfare Reform Act 2012
- any domestic rate relief under the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015
- a council tax reduction under a council tax reduction scheme made under section 13A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 in relation to England or Wales
- a council tax reduction pursuant to the Council Tax Reduction (Scotland) Regulations 2012
- Council Tax Reduction (State Pension Credit) (Scotland) Regulations 2012
- a payment made from a welfare fund under the Welfare Funds (Scotland) Act 2015
- a discretionary support payment made in accordance with any regulations made under article 135 of the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015
- a discretionary payment made by a local authority under section 1 of the Localism Act 2011.
簡單來說,Public Funds 包括:
- attendance allowance
- carers allowance
- child benefit
- child tax credit
- council tax benefit
- council tax reduction
- disability living allowance
- (from 6 April 2016) discretionary support payments by local authorities or devolved administrations in Scotland and Northern Ireland which replace the discretionary social fund.
- housing and homelessness assistance
- housing benefit
- income-based jobseeker’s allowance
- income-related employment & support allowance – ESA (IR)
- income support
- personal independence payment
- severe disablement allowance
- social fund payment
- state pension credit
- universal credit
- working tax credit
因此,如果您是持有BNO 簽證,必須確保自己在五年內不使用任何以上的Public Funds。
另外,Council tax discounts,例如 sole occupancy discounts,並不是Public Funds。因為此類的Council Tax Discounts與Public Funds中的Council Tax Benefit 及Council Tax Reduction / Council Tax Support 是不同的。