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<p>Eligibility for income-related (means-tested) benefits, such as Universal Credit,
depends on a person’s immigration status in the UK. Claimants must be exercising a
legal right to reside and be habitually resident before they are eligible to claim.
This is assessed through the Habitual Residence Test (HRT).</p><p> </p><p>EU nationals
who have been granted settled status (indefinite leave to remain) by the Home Office
will satisfy the legal right to reside element of the HRT. All claimants, regardless
of nationality, must also demonstrate that they are factually habitually resident
in the UK in order to be eligible to claim UC. In general, a period of 3 months residence
is sufficient to meet this requirement.</p><p> </p><p>For certain non-contributory
benefits, such as Personal Independence Payment, an individual must also satisfy the
Past Presence Test (PPT), which requires them to have been present in Great Britain
for 104 weeks out of the previous 156 weeks.</p><p> </p><p>Information on the nationality
of those refused Universal Credit within the last 12 months is still being analysed,
not readily available, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p>
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