15th Report - EU Settlement Scheme

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government welcomes the Committee's input and says it will keep looking for ways to improve the EU Settlement Scheme, but does not agree to its central recommendation of a declaratory system.

• On the declaratory system, it says an application requirement with a deadline gives "a clear incentive" to secure and evidence status, and that a declaratory system would "significantly reduce the incentive to obtain evidence of that status".
• People with reasonable grounds for missing the deadline "will be allowed to make a late application", with cases considered on their individual merits and caseworker guidance to be published.
• On Apple devices, it says the identity check app is "currently only available on Android" and that "the app will be working on their devices by the end of the year". It adds that applications can be made on any device with a browser, including Apple devices.
• On pre-settled to settled status, it says the online conversion process "is on track to be available from end-July 2019" and that it is "considering how to implement a reminder system".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error