BNO Visa移民資訊 - 什麼是UK Public Funds?

「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。