Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 January 2025 to Question 19776 on Affordable Housing, in what circumstances foreign nationals who are not eligible for social housing are eligible for taxpayer-funded (a) temporary and (b) permanent accommodation.
Answered by Rushanara Ali
Eligibility for social housing and statutory homelessness assistance are both determined by immigration status. If a person’s visa means that they cannot access state benefits or local authority housing assistance, they will not be eligible for statutory homelessness assistance, and therefore unable to obtain temporary or permanent accommodation.
As the eligibility rules for social housing and homelessness assistance are the same, an applicant who is not eligible for social housing will almost always also not be eligible for homelessness assistance. A small number of EU nationals with pre-settled status (PSS) may be able to access statutory homelessness assistance in a very specific set of circumstances should a ‘not eligible’ decision lead to a breach of their right to dignity under Article 1 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights which has direct effect as a result of the Court of Appeal ruling in SSWP v AT.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, in what circumstances foreign nationals not eligible for social housing are eligible for Government funded (a) temporary and (b) permanent accommodation.
Answered by Rushanara Ali
Eligibility for social housing and statutory homelessness assistance are both determined by immigration status. If a person’s visa means that they cannot access state benefits or local authority housing assistance, they will not be eligible for statutory homelessness assistance, and therefore unable to obtain temporary or permanent accommodation.
As the eligibility rules for social housing and homelessness assistance are the same, an applicant who is not eligible for social housing will almost always also not be eligible for homelessness assistance. A small number of EU nationals with pre-settled status (PSS) may be able to access statutory homelessness assistance in a very specific set of circumstances should a ‘not eligible’ decision lead to a breach of their right to dignity under Article 1 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights which has direct effect as a result of the Court of Appeal ruling in SSWP v AT.
Asked by: Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate her Department has made of the impact of the no recourse to public funds policy on levels of (a) homelessness and (b) rough sleeping for EU nationals in the UK.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Office works closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to reduce the incidence of rough sleeping among non-UK nationals. The Home Office Rough Sleeping Support Service (RSSS) gives real-time immigration information to local authorities and registered charities, to help them assess rough sleepers’ status and entitlements. Where individuals with unresolved immigration status cannot access the support they may be entitled to, the RSSS supports them to resolve their status and gain access to that support.
Migrants with leave under the family and human rights routes, and those who have been granted leave on the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visa route as a British National (Overseas) status holder or a family member of a British National (Overseas) status holder, can apply, for free, to have their NRPF condition lifted by making a ‘change of condition’ application if they are destitute or at risk of destitution, if the welfare of their child is at risk due to their low income, or where there are other exceptional financial circumstances.
For those on other routes, we remain clear that councils and partners should exhaust all options within the law to support those who are unable to access statutory homelessness assistance as a result of their immigration status and to ensure everyone has a route off the street, including those with a NRPF condition.
Those who have no recourse to public funds due to not having a lawful immigration status, should seek to regularise their stay or leave the UK. The Voluntary Returns Service offers practical support for most foreign nationals who have decided they want to return home.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of how many migrants who lack full documentation have become homeless in each of the last two years for which figures are available.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
As part of the Homelessness Case Level Collection data (H-CLIC), local authorities are required to collect details of the nationality of those they have assessed as homeless. Local authorities are not required through H-CLIC to collect data on the documentation held by non-UK nationals who are homeless and rough sleeping.
As part of our annual rough sleeping snapshot, we also collect data on the nationality of those sleeping rough. Latest data reported that 25% of those found to be rough sleeping on a single night in 2021 were non-UK nationals - 20% (500) were from the EU and 5% (110) were non-EU. The nationality of 8% (200) was unknown.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to alleviate homelessness among EU nationals living in England.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Local housing authorities report their homelessness activities under Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996 to the Department by completing the quarterly Homelessness Case Level Collection (H-CLIC) statistical return. H-CLIC is an upload of all cases about statutory homelessness and the authority's activities within the legislative framework.
Figures from the latest H-CLIC data show that in England between March 2020 and April 2021, 15,140 EEA nationals were owed a homelessness prevention or relief duty. This is an 11% decrease from 2019/20.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of EU nationals living in England who have become homeless since the UK formally withdrew from the EU.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Local housing authorities report their homelessness activities under Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996 to the Department by completing the quarterly Homelessness Case Level Collection (H-CLIC) statistical return. H-CLIC is an upload of all cases about statutory homelessness and the authority's activities within the legislative framework.
Figures from the latest H-CLIC data show that in England between March 2020 and April 2021, 15,140 EEA nationals were owed a homelessness prevention or relief duty. This is an 11% decrease from 2019/20.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people with (a) settled and (b) pre-settled status have cited (a) work in the UK, (b) get hospital treatment, (c) claim benefits or tax credits, (d) get homelessness assistance or council housing, (e) open a bank or building society account, (f) get a loan or credit card, (g) another reason as their reason for requesting a share code to prove their status in each month since the EU settlement scheme became operational.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
Individuals granted pre-settled or settled status have had the option within the ‘view and prove your settled or pre-settled status’ service to share their status information for a variety of reasons since 30th September 2019. This is done by generating a ‘share code’ which can be given to a third party to provide them with time-limited access to the data. One of these options (‘work in the UK’) takes users to a separate Home Office service, which can also be used by individuals who have not been through the EU Settlement Scheme (holders of Biometric Residence Permits (BRP) and Biometric Residence Cards (BRC)).
The ability to share information via the online service(s) is entirely optional; EEA nationals can continue to rely on their passports or national ID cards until at least December 2020 to evidence their rights in the UK but can choose to use the online service if they wish. Those with a BRP/C can also continue to rely on their physical cards.
Data is collected on usage of the service for internal purposes, to help us make improvements to the service, and to inform how it is performing. Data relates to number of views on the service, rather than unique users, and it is not currently possible to identify whether those who go on to share their status have settled or pre-settled status.
Data on usage on the ‘view and prove’ service more generally will be published later this year, as part of the Home Office Transparency Data.
Asked by: Kate Green (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what equality impact assessment has been made of the extent to which each protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2009 has been allocated funding through voluntary organisations to support vulnerable EU nationals applying to the EU Settlement Scheme.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
Details of the grant funding and payment allocations remain commercial in confidence therefore the funding amount allocated, and the amounts to each voluntary organisation cannot be disclosed.
All grant funded organisations are required to submit quarterly returns, reporting on outcomes to the Home Office. The Home Office is currently evaluating the quarter two return. Consideration of the need and effectiveness of any further funding will be done thereafter.
A policy equality statement has been completed for the EU Settlement Scheme ensuring the scheme is accessible to all and does not discriminate based on any protected characteristic. The grant fund was open to any voluntary and community sector organisations.
The fund concentrates on delivering a service based on supporting vulnerabilities such as, but not limited to, homelessness, disability, age, victims of domestic violence and trafficking. The organisations that were successful in their bid for funding demonstrated their ability to provide practical support and outreach to the most vulnerable EEA citizens and family members of EEA citizens.
Funding was awarded based on expected numbers of vulnerable people that could be supported by the organisation, the geographical reach of the organisation and their ability to mobilise within the required timeframes.
Asked by: Kate Green (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will extend beyond March 2020 the period of funding for voluntary organisations to support vulnerable EU nationals in applying for the EU Settlement Scheme.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
Details of the grant funding and payment allocations remain commercial in confidence therefore the funding amount allocated, and the amounts to each voluntary organisation cannot be disclosed.
All grant funded organisations are required to submit quarterly returns, reporting on outcomes to the Home Office. The Home Office is currently evaluating the quarter two return. Consideration of the need and effectiveness of any further funding will be done thereafter.
A policy equality statement has been completed for the EU Settlement Scheme ensuring the scheme is accessible to all and does not discriminate based on any protected characteristic. The grant fund was open to any voluntary and community sector organisations.
The fund concentrates on delivering a service based on supporting vulnerabilities such as, but not limited to, homelessness, disability, age, victims of domestic violence and trafficking. The organisations that were successful in their bid for funding demonstrated their ability to provide practical support and outreach to the most vulnerable EEA citizens and family members of EEA citizens.
Funding was awarded based on expected numbers of vulnerable people that could be supported by the organisation, the geographical reach of the organisation and their ability to mobilise within the required timeframes.
Asked by: Kate Green (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans are in place to ensure that funding for voluntary organisations to support vulnerable EU nationals in applying to the EU Settlement Scheme is allocated adequately to geographical areas where individuals with certain protected characteristics are concentrated.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
Details of the grant funding and payment allocations remain commercial in confidence therefore the funding amount allocated, and the amounts to each voluntary organisation cannot be disclosed.
All grant funded organisations are required to submit quarterly returns, reporting on outcomes to the Home Office. The Home Office is currently evaluating the quarter two return. Consideration of the need and effectiveness of any further funding will be done thereafter.
A policy equality statement has been completed for the EU Settlement Scheme ensuring the scheme is accessible to all and does not discriminate based on any protected characteristic. The grant fund was open to any voluntary and community sector organisations.
The fund concentrates on delivering a service based on supporting vulnerabilities such as, but not limited to, homelessness, disability, age, victims of domestic violence and trafficking. The organisations that were successful in their bid for funding demonstrated their ability to provide practical support and outreach to the most vulnerable EEA citizens and family members of EEA citizens.
Funding was awarded based on expected numbers of vulnerable people that could be supported by the organisation, the geographical reach of the organisation and their ability to mobilise within the required timeframes.