The deadline for applying to the EU Settlement Scheme nears
21 January 2021
European citizens are being encouraged to apply now to the EU Settlement Scheme, ahead of the application deadline of 30 June 2021, to ensure their rights in UK law.
The latest set of official statistics, published on 21 January 2021, highlight the fact that, in the period ending on 31 December 2020, nearly 4.9 million applications had been made to the EU Settlement Scheme. This included over 4.4 million applications from England, 243,600 from Scotland, 80,700 from Wales and 78,500 from Northern Ireland. In the month of December, 402,300 more applications were made to the scheme, as people opted to apply prior to the end of the transition period.
The scheme was originally launched on 30 March 2019, and at the busiest point, Home Office caseworkers were frequently processing anything up to 20,000 applications on a daily basis. The EU Exit: ID Document Check app enables individuals to apply from wherever they may be in 15 minutes.
There are over 1,500 people working on the EU Settlement Scheme, who can offer support seven days a week by either telephone or email, and up to £17 million has been provided by the Government to support vulnerable people in making applications to the scheme.
The Home Office ran a series of marketing campaigns, the latest of which was published in December 2020 to urge EU citizens in the UK to apply to the scheme.
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