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Not British or Irish

Benefit rights if you are not a British or Irish citizen

If you are not a British or Irish national you may not be able to claim benefits in the United Kingdom.

The entitledto calculator does not work out whether you meet the conditions for claiming benefits, but you can use the links below to find out more about who is and is not eligible.  If your situation is more complex, you might need to seek specialist advice on this.

EEA nationals and their family members

If you are an 'EEA national' or 'family member of an EEA national' living in the United Kingdom, the rules on eligibility for benefits are different depending whether you were already resident in the UK on 31 December 2020.

If you are a returning former resident from the EEA

EEA nationals (and their family members) who were already permanently resident in the UK before 31/12/20, then left the country and who have now returned to the UK after less than five years’ absence might be covered by the rules for people resident on 31/12/2020 – see more information for returning permanent residents.

Non-EEA nationals

If you are a non-EEA national who does not count as a family member of an EEA national, your right to claim benefits in the UK depends on your immigration status. You will also need to satisfy the habitual residence test.

Some non-EEA nationals have entitlement to benefits because they belonged to the family of an EEA national before the end of 2020 – to check whether this might apply to you see EEA nationals and their family members until 2020.

If one or both of a couple are not British or Irish citizens

If one member of a couple is prevented from claiming benefits in his/her own right because of his/her residence or immigration status, but the other member of the couple is eligible to claim, see the Benefit rules for mixed citizenship couples help page for further details.

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