PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Immigration: EU Nationals (19 February 2021)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the EU Settlement Scheme, what her Department's outreach and engagement strategy is to ensure (a) care workers and (b) other key workers from the EU in sectors with low pay and precarious employment arrangements are (i) reached, (ii) made aware of the scheme, and (iii)supported to apply.

Asked by:
David Simmonds (Conservative)

Over five million applications have been made to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), and over 4.5 million grants of status have been made, delivering on the government’s promise to secure the rights of millions of Europeans in UK law for years to come.

A comprehensive range of communications activity has been delivered to date to increase awareness of the EUSS across sectors and audience demographics including EEA and Swiss national key workers and those working in the social care sector.

Communications activity includes extensive engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, a refresh of EUSS promotional materials, and an extensive new wave of targeted UK advertising on social media, website banners, catch up TV and radio, launched earlier this month, to ensure EEA and Swiss citizens are aware of the scheme and supported to apply.

To support applicants the Home Office has provided up to £17million in grant funding to a network of 72 organisations that provide bespoke support to vulnerable and hard to reach EU citizens and their family members eligible to apply to EUSS. We recently announced a further £4.5 million of funding to the 72 organisations to continue the support services beyond the 30 June 2021 deadline.

Communications to reach eligible workers via their employer have been ongoing since the scheme’s launch with hundreds of engagement events delivered alongside the provision of an employer toolkit, equipping organisations with the information required to support their staff. This has included a bespoke event for NHS employers, and with a number of regional strategic migration and enterprise partnerships.

NHS employers, Scottish Social services and Wales Social care also sit on EUSS advisory groups.

Workers in the social care sector were given early access under the pilot phases of the scheme and we have provided extensive outreach and support to the sector. We continue to work closely with the Department for Health and Social Care, and Local Authorities to provide support and materials to eligible individuals working in the sector.

Answered by:
Kevin Foster (Conservative)
24 February 2021