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<p>We are within touching distance of reaching political agreement on the citizens'
rights aspects of the Withdrawal Agreement, including on residence status and social
security. <br><br>The UK Government's position is that to provide certainty on residence,
all EU citizens lawfully residing within the UK with five years residence at a specified
date, which is no earlier than the trigger of Article 50, and no later than the UK’s
exit from the EU, will be able to apply for settled status. Those EU citizens with
less than five years lawful residence who arrive before the specified date will be
given time to stay until they have the five years of residency necessary to obtain
UK settled status.<br><br>For EU citizens in the UK with rights protected under the
Withdrawal Agreement, those on the pathway to settled status will continue to be able
to access the same benefits that they can access now (broadly, equal access for workers/the
self-employed and limited access for those not working). Once they are granted settled
status, EU citizens will have access to benefits on the same basis as comparable UK
nationals. Following the UK's withdrawal from the EU, access to benefits for those
EU citizens protected by the Withdrawal Agreement will mirror any future changes potentially
made to UK nationals’ entitlement. This means that an EU citizen protected by the
Withdrawal Agreement will be no better or worse off than a UK national and will continue
to enjoy equivalent access to benefits.</p>
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