From 6 April people with biometric residence cards, biometric residence permits, and frontier working permits will have to prove their status online to work or rent in the UK. From this date, physical copies of these documents will no longer be accepted. However, many people struggle to use the online system. It is typical of the Home Office to have set up a system that does not understand the interactions that people will have to have whilst proving their status.

This is an issue that I have pressed the Home Office on before. Last December, I tabled an amendment to the Nationality and Borders Bill to ensure that those with settled or pre-settled status can prove their status in a physical and digital form. I did not press my amendment to a vote at that time as the Minister confirmed that the Government would work towards resolving this issue. The Government has since confirmed that it is continuing with its digital-only approach. 

I wrote to the Minister for Safe and Legal Migration to press him on how the Government has been communicating these changes to the public. Click the link below to view his response.