We have a client who has been in this country for five years and as an IS96 which prohibits her right to enter employment and requires her to attend the Croydon Enforcement Unit weekly but does not say anything about recourse to public funds. She has recently been declined IS on the grounds that she is a person from abroad. Does anyone know whether this is accurate.

the starting point will be to determine whether she is a person "subject to immigration control" for benefit purposes - this definition is found in s.115(9) of the imm and asylum act 1999 (@ http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1999/90033--f.htm#115)

if they're not caught by the definition, they're not barred from benefit .... if they are, you then need to consider whether they fall into an excepted category, which for income support can be found in Part 1 of the schedule to the Social Security (Immigration and Asylum) Consequential Amendments Regulations 2000 (http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2000/20000636.htm)

maybe post further info about her imm status/nationality etc ?