The EU Settlement Scheme’s (EUSS) digital-first design posed challenges for vulnerable EU citizens in the UK, including those facing language barriers, digital exclusion, mental health issues and homelessness. These issues posed a barrier to applying and securing settled status in the UK. Although many civil society organisations (CSOs) were uniquely placed to reach and support these individuals, they lacked accurate data to work with.

Better data sharing

In response, government launched a grant programme for CSOs to enhance data collection, sharing and transparency. This enabled better data sharing between the government and grantees for immediate assessments, established transparency standards, and offered support to smaller organisations for data management compliance. Data gathered from civil society informed policy changes and outreach, improving understanding of needs and enabling collaborative, evidence-based solutions. 

Providing essential assistance

Over £32.5 million was successfully allocated to over 70 civil society organisations, enabling them to provide essential assistance to more than 500,000 vulnerable citizens who might not have applied to the scheme otherwise. This critical initiative supported individuals with understanding the scheme, completing applications, and accessing legal or translation services.

The grants also supported four national organisations (one each in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) and a number of regional organisations, ensuring UK-wide access to services. An example includes Citizens Advice Scotland, with 1,000 advisers in 200 outreach locations, delivering EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) advice, including benefits, housing, and debt support, enhancing community wellbeing.

Next steps

Next steps include applying this model to future schemes and tracking long term impacts on community resilience.