Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that naturalised EU citizens are not incorrectly advised to apply inappropriately to the EU Settlement Scheme.

The Government is using every possible channel to encourage everyone who is eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) to apply.

The Home Office is working with HMRC and DWP to send letters to EU, EEA and Swiss citizens in receipt of benefits, but it appears have yet to apply to the EUSS. The letters encouraged recipients to apply to the EUSS to protect their existing rights in the UK before the deadline of 30 June 2021.

In trying to reach as many people as possible, there were a small number of instances where these letters were sent to recipients who were naturalised, or dual British and EU citizens, or had other forms of immigration status. This may have included people who naturalised many years ago.

The letters made clear anyone who is a British citizen did not need to take any action. Further reassurance, providing the same messaging, was posted on the Home Office’s, DWP’s and HMRC’s Twitter channels.