Health in Pregnancy grant

[MPuppykin]

I am not sure if this is the right section, but here goes.

I have been given my form for the HiP grant. However, I am foreign-born, and although I have been a permanent resident in the UK for some 12 years and have been working and paying taxes for all of those years, it seems to suggest that I am ineligible to receive these funds as i have a 'no recourse to public funds' on my visa. Ironically, I only have that because I had a job and thus could pay for myself and was not going to receive any kind of job seeking or other benefits.

My midwife says to apply anyway and to find out, but does anyone know if this means I am excluded from the grant? I was rather looking forward to the bit of extra cash (for buying vegetables of course!).

And I guess following on... does that mean that even though I intend to live here my entire life, and work for another 40 years this means that I also ineligible for things like a pension etc? I feel a bit upset really..... well, as if a welfare safety net has been cut from beneath me.

There is a leaflet here which explains what "no recourse to public funds" actually means. It doesn't list the Health in Pregnancy grant as one of the things you aren't allowed to claim. Since that list is supposed to be complete, I think that means you can claim it provided you have the right to reside in the UK.

Having said that, the residency rules for HiP are supposed to be the same as for child benefit, which you are not allowed to receive. There is a helpline you can contact on 0845 366 7885 or you can submit a query by email using [http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/asplib/mailer/mailer_form.asp?dpt=HIPG this page].

You are eligible for:

• contribution based jobseeker's allowance
• incapacity benefit
• pension
• widows benefit and bereavement benefit
• guardian's allowance
• statutory maternity pay
• maternity allowance
• certain types of housing assistance

So you have less of a welfare safety net than if you didn't have that on your visa but it hasn't been cut away completely.

As I understand it, "no recourse to public funds" is normally only used when you are admitted to the UK for a limited period. I'm a little surprised you've still got that endorsement if you've been admitted permanently.

Sorry about the second link not working - it should say you can submit a query by email using this page

Are you sure you have no recourse on your visa? I'm Australian and live here permanently now. My initial spouse visa had this condition on it, but after 2 years when this visa expired I was reverted to a residency visa which has no such condition. So I applied and got my HIP grant just in the last couple of months.

Agree with PRH, it's surprising since you live here permanently.

Thank you both so much, and the links. Very much obliged to you. I am going to double check the visa status.... I had a temporary visa renewed once, and then I have a memory of when I got Indefinite leave to remain of looking at the visa and commenting 'Oh it still has.... ' on it. Now I am doubting that based on what you are saying. I will ferret out the passport tonight and confirm. Could well have panicked way too soon! Actually, somewhat ridiculously it had never occurred to me in all this time to see what I was eligible or ineligible for, and it is a big relief to see that perhaps the various safety nets are not completely excluded.