DWP urges Europeans to make EU Settlement Scheme claims despite deadline passing
European citizens had until June 30 to apply for the ESS which awarded EEA and Swiss citizens with either settled or pre-settled status. Both of these statuses allowed European citizens to access certain British state benefits, pensions and NHS services.
The Government detailed a person can still apply for ESS beyond the original deadline if they had “‘reasonable grounds” for why it was missed or, they had certain extenuating circumstances.
For some people, the deadline of June 30 2021 did not apply and this would be the case if the claimant was one of the following:
- The family member of someone from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein who was living in the UK by December 31 2020, and they joined them in the UK on or after April 1 2021
- They’re applying for a child, who was born or adopted in the UK on or after April 1 2021
- The family member of an eligible person of Northern Ireland, but they could not move back to the UK by December 31 2020 without the claimant – they must be from outside the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
- Exempt from immigration control, or they stopped being exempt from immigration control after June 30 2021
- They’re in the UK with limited leave to enter or remain in the UK (for example, if they’re here on a work or study visa) which expires after June 30 2021
- A family member of a British citizen who they lived with in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein – they must have lived with them in that country by December 30 2020, and returned to the UK with them
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