Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to issue guidance on the settled status scheme to landlords.

The Government has made clear that the current arrangements for private landlords conducting checks on EU nationals, involving the use of national passports and identity cards, will not change prior to introduction of the future skills-based immigration system. This position applies also to those EU nationals who have acquired pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme. Updated guidance for private landlords will be published shortly.

Regarding social landlords, I can confirm that EU, EEA/EFTA and Swiss nationals registered under the EU Settlement Scheme will have broadly the same eligibility to access social housing and homelessness assistance as they do now. Those granted settled status, who have five or more years’ continuous residence in the UK, will have the same access to social housing and homelessness assistance as comparable UK nationals. Those granted pre-settled status, where they have less than five years’ continuous residence, will remain eligible on the same basis as now. We have laid amendment regulations to make clear that the existing position remains in place. We will revise current statutory guidance for local authorities to reflect the amending regulations when time allows.