Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate she has made of the number of elderly and vulnerable applicants to the EU Settlement Scheme; and what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of support provided to those applicants.

The number of applications to the EU Settled Status scheme are regularly monitored and reviewed against forecasts.

There is a range of direct and indirect support available for vulnerable EU citizens. This ranges from the telephone helpline available where citizens and their carers and helpers can discuss any aspect of the application with a trained caseworker at any point during the process.

For those who need assistance with IT, the Home Office has put in place an Assisted Digital solution which provides support over the phone, at one of around 300 local centres across the UK or at home with a trained tutor.

We have also provided up to £9 million of grant funding in this financial year to 57 voluntary and community sector organisations across the UK. These organisations are being funded and supported by the Home Office to deliver practical assistance to vulnerable or at-risk EU citizens in applying to the scheme. More than 40 of the organisations included the provision of support for older people in their bid for funding. Further information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-community-support-for-vulnerable-citizens/list-of-organisations

We have also provided a paper application form for those whose specific individual needs require it.

The Home Office is working with a range of other government departments and stakeholders to identify how we can best support vulnerable adults with significant care and support needs, including those in care homes.