The UK Home Office has changed how it checks whether people with pre-settled status are still eligible to stay in the UK. From 9 April 2026, the system now uses automated checks to look at your tax, benefits and travel history to assess whether you are still living in the UK.
This is not a change to the rules themselves. The requirement to live in the UK continuously has always been part of the EU Settlement Scheme. What has changed is how closely that requirement is now being checked.
How the new checks work
The Home Office now looks at records held by HMRC and the Department for Work and Pensions, alongside your travel history. It uses this information to build a picture of whether you have been living in the UK over time.
As part of this, the system looks for signs of UK-based activity over a five-year period. This can include working, paying tax or receiving benefits. Where there is little or no evidence, the Home Office may decide that you are no longer living in the UK on a continuous basis.
Who is affected?
You are more likely to be affected if your time in the UK has been irregular or difficult to evidence. This includes:
- People who have spent long periods outside the UK
- Those who have been abroad for close to five years
- Individuals who have not worked or claimed benefits in the UK
- Anyone assuming their status continues automatically without checks
The Home Office has indicated that it will start with the clearest cases, particularly where someone appears to have left the UK for a long period.
What happens if your status is at risk?
If the Home Office decides that you no longer meet the residence requirement, you could lose your pre-settled status. This has immediate consequences. You may lose your right to work, rent property or access services in the UK.
You may also face problems returning to the UK if you have been abroad and your status is no longer valid.
What this means if you plan to apply for settled status
To qualify for settled status, you need to show five years of continuous residence in the UK. The Home Office will use the same automated checks when you apply.
If those checks do not confirm your residence, you will need to provide your own evidence. This could include documents showing where you have lived, worked or studied during that period.
Travel history also matters more. Long absences that break your continuous residence will be taken into account, even if your pre-settled status is still valid on record.
What you should do now
If you hold pre-settled status, it is important to check your position before your status expires or before you apply for settled status.
- Check your HMRC and benefits records reflect your time in the UK
- Review your travel history and identify any long absences
- Gather documents that show you have been living in the UK
- Apply for settled status as soon as you are eligible
The key point is that the Home Office is now actively checking whether people with pre-settled status are still living in the UK. If your circumstances have changed, you need to be ready to explain and evidence your position.
