"No recourse to public funds"?

On my work permit it says "no recourse to public funds," which I've been told means that I can't draw unemployment, for example. What I'm wondering, though, is why I have to pay normal UK taxes if I have reduced access to funds? Am I missing something?

You don't have reduced access to funds, you have NO access to funds!! Crap, innit! LOL

I am assuming this is a rheotorical question ...

The light at the end of this tunnel is that if you are here on a temp work visa (like Bunac or the like) then when you leave you can claim back every penny that yu have paid in.  There is a bit of paper work involved, but you can (and I did) get the money back.  Then as long as you do not return to "live" until that tax year is over you are in the clear...

I'm not sure how it would work if you are on a spousal visa or here working for an American company etc...

On a spousal visa you simply wait until you have ILR, then you are eligible for access to public funds.

Frances,

That is an interesting point. I am over on a spouse visa (been here a little over a year) and my British husband and I are making plans to move back to the states hopefully in the fall. Since I also have no recourse to public funds yet pay full taxes (a good part of my income is taxed at a whopping 40% tax rate) do you or does anyone else know if people in my situation (spouse visa yet leaving the country) are also eligible to claim the taxes back?

I understand a temp visa is different from a spouse visa but we are both in the same boat when it comes to being prohibited from using public funds if the need arose? Thoughts anyone?

Thanks! Julie

anyone, even a British citizen, can claim back their taxes if they move abroad part way through a tax year, ie if you leave before 31.3.05, you can claim back to 1.4.04

Britwife....thanks for your input! 

If you require public funds, it means that your income is next to nothing.  That means you are paying no or little tax.

I was told by the lady on the phone at the Child Credit place that I couldn't file, my husband did, since my Visa says I have no recourse to public funds. Our income isn't next to nothing, we do pay a lot of tax, but this is still a "public fund" that we are eligible for but I can not apply for. He has to.

It's definitely not a rhetorical question, Britwife. I want to know what exactly is meant by the "no recourse" phrase. My visa is good for five years, and I plan to stay here as long as I enjoy the job. Also, I am not a spouse. thanks for your replys. Any further info is appreciated.

Any further info is appreciated.

Don't know if this will help at all, but there was a brief discussion about what exactly is meant by "public funds" toward the end of this thread: http://www.talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=5801.15 - it started off as a discussion of council tax but ended with questions about whether those of us who took a break on council tax because we're students are actually in violation of our visas....

Hi, your taxes are going to a lot of civil society functions that you can access, the big one, of course, is the NHS, and, in the larger scheme, nationwide security. If you're here on a work permit for a short time, then you can claim taxes back. If you're here for longer than 4 years, then you can get an ILR, which opens the door to public funds. So you could think of it like a CD account - you put the money in for four years, and then you can get it back (sort of!).

The way I understand it is that yes, you do get use of the NHS as well as other "public" things...parks, roads, government subsidised transportation and the like in addition to all of the other great things that are availble to you through taxes--musuems, fire and police protection...the list goes on.

What you do NOT get is welfare, unemployment, free council housing and those other services that are reserved for "permanate" residence, LTR visa holders and UK citizens who are out of work, displaced from their home for one reason or another or disabled etc.  Basically, the things you would NOT need if you are employed, which you are.

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/home/laws___policy/policy_instructions/table_of_contents/chapter_1/section_7_-_public.html

this link might be useful

OK - it's starting to make sense. I wonder if I will get the 25% single dweller's discount on the council tax?

ron