Universal Credit: EU Nationals

(asked on 13th October 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claim decisions have been delayed as a result of claimants waiting for EU Settlement Scheme applications to be processed.


Answered by
Justin Tomlinson Portrait
Justin Tomlinson
This question was answered on 19th October 2020

We do not hold the data in the Department that would allow us to provide figures for this question. DWP operates a Habitual Residence Test (HRT) in order to assess whether individuals have legal right to reside for the purpose of accessing benefits and are factually habitually resident.

EU citizens who are exercising a qualifying right to reside, such as worker or self-employed, and are habitually resident in the UK will pass the Habitual Residence Test

A Universal Credit claimant can still pass the HRT without either having applied to the EUSS, or whilst waiting for their application to be processed, provided they can prove their right to reside and factual habitual residency.

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