The EU Settlement Scheme Backlog
What is the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) Backlog? Quite simply, it’s the number of applications to the EUSS (applications for pre-settled or settled status) which have not had a decision yet.
The Home Office publishes statistics on EUSS applications, which are updated monthly. The EUSS backlog reached over 600,000 applications in July 2021. The rate at which this backlog is reducing is painfully slow - we can’t see it being cleared any time before well into 2023.
Moreover, these statistics only tell part of the story. Many people who are eligible to apply for EUSS as joining family members have to first apply for an EUSS Family Permit before they can even travel to the UK, only then to be able to submit their EUSS application. There are no publicly available statistics on these EUSS Family Permits - so we don’t know how big the EUSS Family Permit backlog is.
But we receive so many reports from people stuck in either the EUSS and the EUSS Family Permit backlog, waiting for a decision for months and months on end.
Life in these backlogs is stressful and frustrating for some, but utterly devastating for many others, leading to lost opportunities and lengthy separation of family members.
These delays have real-world impacts, as well as creating immense stress and anxiety for the individuals involved and their families.
In theory, those who are waiting for an EUSS decision have rights while they wait - as long as they have a Certificate of Application (for many, these Certificates sometimes take months to arrive).
In practice, employers and landlords are often suspicious of them, or don’t want to go through the extra bureaucratic steps required by the Home Office to check the rights of people with Certificates.
What makes it worse is that people are not given any kind of realistic information about how long applications take. This Government webpage of expected processing times has not been updated for over two years, and still tells people that most applications take five days to a month.
What makes it even worse is not being able to get any update information on an application from the Home Office. The EU Settlement Resolution Centre helpline tells people who choose the option to get a progress update that caseworkers can’t provide this, and their call is disconnected.
“We all applied a year ago. My wife and I got our status reasonably quickly but our 12-year old daughter is still waiting. They’re not asking us for any extra information or evidence, I can’t phone for updates, and my five email enquiries have all been met with a generic reply that enquiries on my daughter are not finished yet. We are so worried, and we don’t dare to travel!”
“Six months ago, I applied for an EUSS Family Permit to join my partner in the UK. The VISA application centre told me it would take 15 working days. I had a three-month notice period at my job, so I’ve got no income at the moment and can’t get a new job. I’ve been living on friends’ sofas. All this time I’ve been without my passport. Every single day I wonder - will I hear something today? My mental health is deteriorating.”
“I’m pregnant. I submitted my EUSS application 18 months ago, and am still waiting. Whenever I ring them I either can’t get through or they tell me to just be patient. I’m unable to get benefits, or housing assistance. I am desperate.”
“I applied for EUSS Family Permits for my elderly parents over a year ago. They are old, and need my support. My mother’s health is getting worse by the day. Here in the UK, my father-in-law needs our daily support, so I don’t have the easy alternative to move to my parents’ country instead. We are exhausted and exasperated.”
