Almost 10,000 residents in Perth and Kinross have applied for EU settlement status before the deadline passes on Wednesday, June 30.
An update was provided to PKC’s audit committee on Wednesday after concerns were raised last week over issues with providing face-to-face support due to COVID.
SNP Strathearn councillor Stewart Donaldson asked for an update on the situation to be brought back to the meeting.
Last week PKC’s audit committee was told no face-to-face support was provided through Registrars Services.
It is understood this is not unique to Perth and Kinross.
Support was provided through local third sector partners like PKAVS, Ethnic Minorities Law Centre and Perth Citizens Advice Bureau.
Wednesday’s update said PKC has been assured by officers within its adult social care service “everyone has been appropriately supported”.
Councillors were told late submissions can be submitted where there are “reasonable grounds to do so”.
Cllr Donaldson asked PKC’s head of legal and governance services if residents in care homes or anyone digitally excluded would constitute “reasonable grounds.”
Ms Simpson told the committee: “We did a review of residents in care homes. As far as we know we have dealt with all of these and they have been supported to make appropriate applications.”
She said they were in regular contact with care home providers but said if anyone was unable to register in time for the reasons outlined by Cllr Donaldson - as a lawyer - she would argue those were reasonable grounds.
It is not currently known how long late applications will be accepted.
The number of Perth and Kinross applications have been higher than anticipated.
The written update provided to councillors said: “As regards numbers who have not yet applied for settlement status within Perth and Kinross, it is not possible to provide accurate information due to the transient nature of the populations.
“We were working on an original estimate of 8000 citizens but to date have had almost 10,000 applications.”
