Select committee: Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 25
6th Report - Earned Settlement: Examining the Government’s proposed reforms
Published 13 Mar 2026
Addressed to Home Office
Home Affairs Committee Routes to Settlement All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
We recommend that the Home Office does not apply any penalties for accessing public funds on the basis of benefit claims that preceded the Government’s new policy. There should be discretion for reasonable and fair exemptions to this penalty, where the applicant can demonstrate that they have only accessed public funds due to particularly challenging circumstances. (Recommendation, Paragraph 89) The 10-year family or private life route
From: Home Affairs Committee, 6th Report - Earned Settlement: Examining the Government’s proposed reforms (HC 1409), 13 March 2026
Government response
No government response linked yet: deadline 13 May 2026, 172 days ago.