UK government softens settlement rules for social care workers after Labour pressure
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The Home Office revised its immigration settlement proposals, reducing waiting times for qualifying social care workers, while retaining the retrospective element that Labour MPs had criticised.
The Home Office announced a revision to its settlement system that shortens the residency requirement for social care workers who arrived before May 2025 and earn at least £25,000 a year, allowing them to qualify for settlement after five years. The change follows criticism from Labour MPs, including housing secretary Angela Rayner, who described the original plan as "un-British" and said the government was shifting "the goalposts".
Labour members such as Shabana Mahmood and Rachael Maskell voiced concerns about the retrospective nature of the proposals, but the government chose to keep that element unchanged. A source at Number 10 praised Mahmood’s performance in the Commons, saying she had "found the right balance".
The revised rules are expected to affect around 500,000 social care workers, fewer than the 800,000 who would have been impacted under the initial plan. Critics note that the faster route to settlement could cost the UK up to £10 billion, according to a claim previously made by the home secretary.