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No one gets left behind

Graham Summers
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Welfare rights officer - Welfare Rights Service, Leicester City Council

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Total Posts: 52

Joined: 17 June 2010

This is the link to the Home Office’s website on how to apply for Settled Status. This site has translations in relevant languages.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-factsheet

Are organisations actively sending out emails to clients and staff to ensure maximum registration take-up?

Can we encourage organisations to send out information to staff and those they work with and to spread the word in the community.

From a benefits point of view are any Local Authorities pro-actively trawling applications to check for Settled Status to allow applications for HB and CTR to continue after 01/07/2021 as well as ensuring those claimants who have not yet applied do so.

Do we know about DWP and HMRC trawls of claims to ensure entitlement from 01/07/2021?

I’d be interested to know what advice people are giving EU claimants to ensure their benefit claims are not suspended in order to very settled status.

 

GCH Tenancy Sustainment
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Tenancy Sustainment Team Gloucester City Homes (GCH)

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Joined: 18 June 2020

Hi,

I saw a post on housing systems stating that the DWP and HMRC are writing to all EU, EEA and Swiss benefit claimants on and around 14 May, 21 May and 28 May with guidance on how to apply as well as support available. From what I have seen and heard, these letters have started to go out.

I’ve not heard or seen anything yet from my local authority but I would hope that they go through their HB/CTS claims and contact those who may need to apply.

Yes, we have contacted those we think might need to apply however the information we have may not be completely up-to-date.

The guidance for late applications has come out and I find it encouraging, however I don’t know yet if these late applications can be supported by OISC level 1 advisors or if they’ll need to be supported by someone with a higher level.

My concern is for those who submit an application and still haven’t got an outcome by 1/7/2021 and are in receipt of benefits. Will these stop until the status is obtained, or will they be protected by the COA confirming they have a valid application in? Also what about those who put in a late application for good reason?

Prisca
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benefits section (training & accuracy) Bristol city council

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Joined: 20 August 2015

the issue with LA’s trawling their casleoad is that we were specifically advised by DWP that we couldn’t add markers/ flags to claims based on nationality - so its quite difficult to simple run a job to identify affected claims
A PFA claim is someone who DOESNT qualify -  theres nothing on systems to differentiate between an EEA natonal, an UK national and a 3rd nation national - if they are in payment, they have a right to reside )( as far as we know!)
the idea was that there was no need to put markers on these as any changes to their home office status would be a reportable change in circs, or if the leave was for a specific time, themn the LA could diarise to review/ ask for updated info,

the issue is that customers have a duty to notify a chnage in their circumstances… so if they DONT apply for the settled status, nothing has changed in that regard - so what are they supposed to report?

Also DWP have advised that all affected people will be written to adving them to claim.  SOME (but by no means all) authorities are adding info to notification letters/ websites etc signposting to home office site and asking EEA nationals to check - and as and when changes in circs come in have been signposting customers/ asking for the info about their settled status….

its doesnt feel like a very water tight process

 

Graham Summers
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Welfare rights officer - Welfare Rights Service, Leicester City Council

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Total Posts: 52

Joined: 17 June 2010

Thanks Prisca,

Are you recommending that claimants should notify benefit offices of the settled status award as this a change of circumstances?

Will local authorities be trawling their HB and CTR caseload to check on Settled Status from 01/07/2021?

What happens if benefit payment offices don’t do this and it turns out later on that the claimant did not have Settled Status after 01/07/2021?

Although there is a procedure for late Settled Status applications after 30/06/2021 any SS award is not backdated so any benefit paid for the period 01/07/2020 to the day before Settled Status is awarded will be a recoverable overpayment?

Prisca
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benefits section (training & accuracy) Bristol city council

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Total Posts: 198

Joined: 20 August 2015

Hi

yes, our website gives info about the settled status and signposts to the Home Office site and says if you are on benefits, please let us know the outcome of your application for settled status. Where we are dealing with other changes in circs, we are asking if thy have applied/ to tell us the outcome of the request