Public funds questions

Hi all,

I'm currently living in the UK on my first spousal visa (been here 1 year now) and I have a couple of questions regarding the issue of public funds, which I know I can't accept as part of the terms of the visa. Do the following count as receiving public funds?

1. the Energy Bills Support Scheme
2. A Lifetime ISA - Help to Buy. We are saving for a first home and considering opening one, but want to make sure the government contribution to the LISA doesn't violate the terms of my visa. If so, could my wife (a British citizen) open the LISA and use it later on when we purchase a house jointly? It would also be helpful to know how much the LISA might be affected by my US taxes if anyone can advise on it.

Thanks in advance for any advice on this!

I did some further research into the Energy Bill Support Scheme and was able to find an answer online here: https://www.nrpfnetwork.org.uk/information-and-resources/rights-and-entitlements/benefits-and-housing-public-funds/benefits/cost-of-living-support#:~:text=Energy%20Bills%20Support%20Scheme%20(October%202022)&text=The%20grant%20will%20not%20need,no%20recourse%20to%20public%20funds

Just posting this in case it's helpful to anyone else in the same situation.

I still haven't been able to find a definitive answer regarding Lifetime ISA's for first-time home buyers, so if anyone has any knowledge about this I'd really appreciate it.

This is the list of things that are public funds:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-funds--2/public-funds

For the ISA, you want it to be a cash ISA, NOT stocks and shares to keep taxes from being a nightmare.  You may find that it’s best to keep all investments in the UKC name only.