Right to Reside - What is the right to reside?

Your right to reside is your legal right to live in the UK. There are lots of different rights to reside and you may have more than one.

You need to have the correct right to reside to claim these benefits:

• Child Benefit
• Child Tax Credit
• Council Tax Support
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit

British citizens

If you are a British citizen, you automatically have the correct right to reside for these benefits. However, if you are returning to live in the UK after time abroad, you may not be able to claim some benefits straight away.

European Economic Area (EEA) national

If you are an EEA national who has been granted pre-settled status, you need to show you have the correct right to reside to claim these benefits. Read this guide to check which right to reside you have and which benefits you can claim.

Other

If you are not an EEA national or a British citizen, you usually have the right to reside as long as you are not subject to immigration control.  If you are not sure whether you are subject to immigration control, you can use our Find an Adviser to find an immigration adviser near you.