§ Mr. BoatengTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will outline the criteria for entitlement of immigrants to the United Kingdom to supplementary benefit, family income supplement and housing benefit under current regulations.
§ Mr. ScottIncome support (which replaced supplementary benefit from 11 April 1988) and housing benefit are fully available to all who have a right of abode in this country, and to all—including refugees—who have been accepted for settlement here. People who are admitted to the UK for temporary purposes, such as holiday visitors, business men, work permit holders, and students are generally admitted on the basis that they will not have recourse to public funds. Asylum seekers and others seeking permanent leave to remain are entitled to income support, urgent cases payments and housing benefit.
There are no separate criteria for immigrants in family credit (which replaced family income supplement from 11 April 1988). The rules for all claimants are that, at the time of claim, they must be present and ordinarily resident in Great Britain.