Immigration: EU Nationals

(asked on 26th April 2021) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the level of need to provide physical documentation to prove someone has Settled Status, particularly for people who do not have access to IT equipment or their digital documents.


Answered by
Kevin Foster Portrait
Kevin Foster
This question was answered on 29th April 2021

As part of the development of the EU Settlement Scheme, including the policy to provide those granted status with online evidence of immigration status instead of a physical document, consideration was given to the impact on those who may have limited digital skills or access to IT equipment. The Policy Equality Statement for the scheme can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-policy-equality-statement/policy-equality-statement-eu-settlement-scheme

Since the launch of the scheme, we have continued to assess the needs of users, and take steps to ensure those who may be less able to interact digitally are not disadvantaged. This has included making information about an individual’s immigration status available automatically through system to system checks, at the point at which they seek to access the public services. Such checking services are already live for HM Revenue & Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions and NHS England, and will reduce the occasions on which an individual has to use the online service to prove their status. We would be pleased to work with NHS Scotland to implement a similar checking service there relating to services which are the devolved responsibility of the Scottish Government if they wish to do so.

The UK Government has also put in place additional support services, to help those who require assistance to use the online immigration status service. We have a dedicated phone helpline (the Settlement Resolution Centre) where call operators can support users through the online journey, help them to access or recover their online account, help them to update their personal details and where necessary, share status on their behalf if they are unable to do so themselves. The Settlement Resolution Centre will also be able to assist those who are experiencing technical issues with their online immigration status, and if necessary, enable an individual’s status to be verified through alternative means.

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