Facts for providing AD
We Are Digital, the UK’s leading digital and financial inclusion education provider, has been asked by the Home Office to provide Assisted Digital support for the new EU Settled Status application
process.
Assisted Digital is the process by which a citizen may need help with an online digital process (such as completing a form online), that they may not be able to complete themselves.
CURRENT UKVI PROJECT
We are Digital has delivered AD support on behalf of the Home Office since September 2017
We act as first point of contact and “triage” all the inbound calls from visa applicants. If applicable, we then provide support through one of three delivery mechanisms in conjunction with our partner networks.
Over the phone support
Face-to-face support in a local centre
In-home tutor visit
A percentage of callers who are ineligible (seeking immigration advice) get signposted to various other sources of support.
WE ARE DIGITAL PARTNERS
Due to the upcoming EU settled status process, we would like to significantly increase our network of face-to-face support across the UK. This support would be for both aspects of the project with the principle remaining the same, supporting an applicant with AD needs through the process, without providing immigration advice.
PROJECT INSIGHT
- Over 3 million EU citizens and their family members currently live in the UK. They will need to apply for status under the EU Settlement Scheme, in order to continue living in the UK after 31 December 2020
- Estimates are that up to 10 percent of EU citizens in the UK are vulnerable or at-risk, and
around 150,000 of those individuals may need Assisted Digital help, nationally.
- The EU Settlement Scheme will open fully by March 2019 and the deadline for applying will be 30 June 2021.
- We have developed a detailed model estimating volumes (nationwide) that indicate potential demand in each area.
The application process is quick and straightforward, and assistance is easy to deliver.
THE DETAILS
Once an applicant has successfully passed through triage, we then follow the below steps:
- Book the applicant in with yourselves in a pre-agreed time slot
- We communicate confirmation of appointment to both parties (you and the applicant) along with a unique identifier
- In our communications with you, we will detail the applicants needs and how best to assist
- Upon completing the process, the applicant must submit an online survey
- Payment is then processed out to you, based on survey completion
- Payment cannot be issued without a completed survey
Finer details of how each process will work will follow in training.
TIMINGS AND VOLUMES
The Home Office believe the greatest demand will likely come from the date of Brexit (29th March 2019) and certainly for the first three months, as anyone legally can start this application process from that date.
Government modelling predicts that demand could perhaps be up to 30 times higher than the current UKVI demand, in these early months, but it will fluctuate strongly up and down.
There will then be an expected ‘drop-off’ after these first 3 months (“the big bang” initial launch), but it is still likely to remain busy and peak again towards the end of the first year and this would be expected to be similar for year two particularly close to the cut off deadline of June 2021.
Peaks and troughs are expected as behaviors will vary from applicant to applicant. It is a very difficult project to model accurately, as the government confirmed “there is no comparative project with which to compare it to historically.” But WAD is working on the basis of handling (with all partners) around 400,000 people (total) across two years, with spikes at the beginning and end of each year.
LOCAL CENTRES
From a local centre perspective – it is likely that the EU settlement scheme will present you with greater demand for face to face assistance than current UKVI AD.
The government expects the duration of session in centers will be shorter than the existing model, as the process is simpler than a visa application.
Group sessions are something being discussed with the government at present, with suitability being considered. If you have a centre able to cope with these, we would be very interested to hear back.
If staffing such places poses resourcing issues, we could also staff the venue for you.
HOW THE APPLICATION PROCESS WORKS
A simple online application form will be available at Gov.UK, along with a downloadable app for verifying the applicant’s identity on Android devices. There are three simple stages to the application form:
1. Proof of identity
2. Proof of residence in the UK
3. Answering questions relating to a criminality check
Applicants who struggle with this, will be directed to us and put through the previously mentioned triage process.
TRAINING AND FUNDING
For each session you complete, WAD will provide a payment.
Full training will be provided by WAD in the form of a simple video that details the end to end process. This video will be no longer than one hour and can be shared amongst staff and local branches.
Training packs will be provided to all centres. They will include full details on set up and delivery, detailed FAQ’s and how to share learning outcomes on our website so we can all learn from experience and improve our service.
For the settlement scheme, it’s anticipated most support will take up to 45 min, for other visa’s it could be up to 90min.
£25.00 – 45 minutes
£33.33 – 60 minutes
£50.00 – 90 minutes
WHY YOU SHOULD BE ON BOARD AS A LOCAL CENTRE
We will pay you to deliver that support!
This could mean additional revenue for our partners across the UK!
You will receive payment for every applicant you support
– The deadline for applying will be 30 June 2021 i.e. long term
– No limit to the number of centres on board in any local authority area
– Volunteers can provide support (subject to WAD background screenings)
– Use your space, or staff, or both – if not at full capacity
– Raises awareness of the variety of services you offer locally and puts you in a strong position to offer these types of projects in the future with We Are Digital – With all government departments increasingly moving services and applications online
– There is no better time to be part of We Are Digital’s unique “hub and spoke” delivery model (central triage plus on the ground network delivery) for future opportunities
But we have to act fast!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU!
For further information, please read our FAQ’s on Assisted Digital Support for EU Settlement Scheme
