The notes on this page are for EEA nationals and their family members who were resident in the UK on 31 December 2020.

The deadline to apply for EU settled status

EEA citizens, and their family members, who were living in the UK on 31 December 2020 were eligible to apply for leave to enter or remain in the UK under the EU settled status scheme. The deadline to apply was 30 June 2021.

The government can exercise discretion to accept late applications, but if you did not apply for settled status by 30 June 2021 this might affect your entitlement to claim benefits and access rented housing.

Effect on current benefit entitlement

If you were already receiving benefits by 30 June 2021, the government has said your payments will not stop immediately. By data matching records held by various public authorities, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) hopes to identify as many people as possible who are EEA citizens and who do not appear to have submitted an application for settled status.

The DWP will undertake intensive efforts to persuade people to apply but if these efforts prove unsuccessful then later in 2021 it is very likely benefit payments will be suspended and then permanently stopped. This will apply to all benefits that require the claimant to have a right to reside and/or to satisfy the immigration status test.

Effect on new benefit claims

It is likely new claims for benefits subject to either the right to reside or immigration status tests will be refused if the claimant is an EEA citizen, or a family member of an EEA citizen, who did not apply for settled status by 30 June, unless and until:

• The person has a late application accepted and is awarded either settled or pre-settled status; or
• The person has or is awarded leave to enter or remain in the UK under the normal immigration rules without any condition prohibiting access to public funds.

Effect on the right to rent

Existing tenants who lose their right to rent are unlikely to be affected immediately after the 30 June 2021 deadline. Landlords have been told they don't have to carry out retrospective checks on EEA citizens who were granted a tenancy before 30 June 2021 on the basis of their nationality alone. However, later in 2021, if a tenant who is relying on benefits to pay their rent fails to obtain settled or pre-settled status, their Housing Benefit or Universal Credit is likely to stop, resulting in rent arrears.

New prospective tenants who didn't apply for settled status by 30 June 2021 will not be eligible for a tenancy unless/until they successfully make a late application and are awarded either settled or pre-settled status.