Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 6 July (HL Deb cols 1067–1071), how many applications for the discretionary fee waiver on grounds of non-affordability have been received; how many of those applications (1) were successful, and (2) were rejected; and what other options were considered with reference to the fee itself in advance of the final stage impact assessment.
Answer
Following introduction of the discretionary fee waiver for child citizenship registration applications on 16 June 2022, the Home Office will be carrying out regular review of the number of applications received, as well as the proportion of applications that have been successful or rejected. Information to support this review is currently in the process of being collated, reviewed and assured, and we are therefore not in a position to share figures at this time. We are however considering the best mechanism for updating Parliament with this information and will do so at the earliest appropriate opportunity.
A range of options were considered in relation to the child citizenship registration fee prior to the final stage impact assessment, including a fee reduction. As the then Minister for Safe and Legal Migration outlined in his Written Ministerial Statement of 26 May, the department’s view, having considered the different options, is that the introduction of a fee waiver based on affordability represents the most effective means of better facilitating children’s access to citizenship, while protecting the sustainable funding of the borders and migration system. This funding supports delivery of the department’s key functions, while reducing reliance on the UK taxpayer.