To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many UK nationals resident in (a) the UK, (b) Berkshire and (c) Slough received the recent letter from her Department advising them to apply for settled status or risk losing rights to work and access healthcare; and what steps her Department is taking to apologise and reassure UK nationals of their rights.
Answered on
25 May 2021
The Government is using every possible channel to encourage everyone who may be eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) to apply.
The Home Office is currently working with HMRC and DWP to send letters to EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who receive benefits, but it appears are yet to apply to the EUSS. These letters, sent by HMRC and DWP, seek to encourage 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 may be a small number of instances where these letters are sent to recipients across the UK who are naturalised as a British citizen. The letter may also be received by a small number of individuals who have already applied to the EUSS, for example because they applied after the initial exercise with DWP or HMRC was completed, but before the letter was sent out.
The letters make clear anyone who is a British citizen or already has EUSS status does not need to take any action. Further reassurance, providing the same messaging, has also been posted on the Home Office’s, DWP’s and HMRC’s Twitter channels.
As of 30 April 2021, 4.9m grants of EUSS status have been made.