Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposals in the Earned Settlement consultation on staffing levels in the adult social care sector; and whether social care roles will be included within the public service consideration which reduces the baseline qualifying period for earned settlement.

The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, announced changes to the mandatory requirements and qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain. It is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.

As part of this consultation, we are seeking views on the potential impact of the proposed changes on different groups, including those working in sectors such as social care. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation.

The final proposals will also be subject to full economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.