Settlement Checking Service

[mrgs1]

Has anybody used SCS at some local councils? Does this speed up the application at all? At £100 is it worth it any thoughts..

[Amber]

Has anybody used SCS at some local councils? Does this speed up the application at all? At £100 is it worth it any thoughts..

I do not think their are any official stats yet. However, the SCS can only be used for Set(m) application and it should ensure that your application will be trouble free either they can post it or prepare you for your PEO appointment. If you're not 100% sure then yes it's worth it. I would say it is more worth it for postal applications as they return your documents though it can also make your PEO appointment even more straightforward.

[Kevin24]

Has anybody used SCS at some local councils? Does this speed up the application at all? At £100 is it worth it any thoughts..

When you use settlement service the Trained Officer at the Council will take only the documents which are relevant. They dispatch to Home Office ,very securely. CW's work is made easier to make a decision. Decisions are made faster compared to postal applications.

[lolainkent]

Has anybody used SCS at some local councils? Does this speed up the application at all? At £100 is it worth it any thoughts..

I didn't think it was worth it. If you're good at forms and are able to go over your application with a fine-tooth comb on your own, you don't need the SCS. As far as I am aware it didn't speed up my application at all. A friend (American) did her application without the SCS and I (Canadian) did mine with - both were processed just under the 4 month mark. Both were incredibly straightforward applications.

The pros:
- They have a direct phone line to the UKBA, so if a question arises, they can call on your behalf (ie: I mentioned my children in the "any other info" section but didn't include birth certificates - the officer asked if I wanted her to call the UKBA and ask if they were necessary. I said no, and they weren't required, but who knows what situation could arise where that would be a helpful option).
- You keep all original documents. Not that keeping your passport is of any use since you can't leave the country, but your partner would be able to.

The Cons:
- £80 plus whatever it costs you to drive/park. (I had to drive 30min to Canterbury)
- you still have to get to wherever you can enrol your biometric data (enrolment was £19.50 or something close to that)

All in, I spent over £1200 on my application that took 4 months, when I could have spent £100 more and done the PEO (I tried, appointments were impossible back in Nov). Obviously this is my opinion, but if I had known the SCS wouldn't help speed up the process I wouldn't have paid the extra money for it.

[Kevin24]

Has anybody used SCS at some local councils? Does this speed up the application at all? At £100 is it worth it any thoughts..

I didn't think it was worth it. If you're good at forms and are able to go over your application with a fine-tooth comb on your own, you don't need the SCS. As far as I am aware it didn't speed up my application at all. A friend (American) did her application without the SCS and I (Canadian) did mine with - both were processed just under the 4 month mark. Both were incredibly straightforward applications.

The pros:
- They have a direct phone line to the UKBA, so if a question arises, they can call on your behalf (ie: I mentioned my children in the "any other info" section but didn't include birth certificates - the officer asked if I wanted her to call the UKBA and ask if they were necessary. I said no, and they weren't required, but who knows what situation could arise where that would be a helpful option).
- You keep all original documents. Not that keeping your passport is of any use since you can't leave the country, but your partner would be able to.

The Cons:
- £80 plus whatever it costs you to drive/park. (I had to drive 30min to Canterbury)
- you still have to get to wherever you can enrol your biometric data (enrolment was £19.50 or something close to that)

All in, I spent over £1200 on my application that took 4 months, when I could have spent £100 more and done the PEO (I tried, appointments were impossible back in Nov). Obviously this is my opinion, but if I had known the SCS wouldn't help speed up the process I wouldn't have paid the extra money for it.

Thank You for the update. I live near My Council. The place is very busy always. I was under the impression that they were providing a very good service.

[lolainkent]

Has anybody used SCS at some local councils? Does this speed up the application at all? At £100 is it worth it any thoughts..

I didn't think it was worth it. If you're good at forms and are able to go over your application with a fine-tooth comb on your own, you don't need the SCS. As far as I am aware it didn't speed up my application at all. A friend (American) did her application without the SCS and I (Canadian) did mine with - both were processed just under the 4 month mark. Both were incredibly straightforward applications.

The pros:
- They have a direct phone line to the UKBA, so if a question arises, they can call on your behalf (ie: I mentioned my children in the "any other info" section but didn't include birth certificates - the officer asked if I wanted her to call the UKBA and ask if they were necessary. I said no, and they weren't required, but who knows what situation could arise where that would be a helpful option).
- You keep all original documents. Not that keeping your passport is of any use since you can't leave the country, but your partner would be able to.

The Cons:
- £80 plus whatever it costs you to drive/park. (I had to drive 30min to Canterbury)
- you still have to get to wherever you can enrol your biometric data (enrolment was £19.50 or something close to that)

All in, I spent over £1200 on my application that took 4 months, when I could have spent £100 more and done the PEO (I tried, appointments were impossible back in Nov). Obviously this is my opinion, but if I had known the SCS wouldn't help speed up the process I wouldn't have paid the extra money for it.

Thank You for the update. I live near My Council. The place is very busy always. I was under the impression that they were providing a very good service.

Thing is, if you had a tricky application or didn't speak/read English well, then it's very valuable. And the officer I had was a lovely woman who was very thorough...but one would think that if the CW has most of their job done by an officer at a local council, the applications would be processed faster. I actually wrote that in an e-mail to Kent County Council in hopes maybe (just maybe!) they'll pass that on to the UKBA/Home Office/whatever it is now. I was told that my application was the most straightforward and well put together she'd seen in the SCS pilot program so I guess a lot comes down to how well you put together an application!

[mrgs1]

Has anybody used SCS at some local councils? Does this speed up the application at all? At £100 is it worth it any thoughts..

I didn't think it was worth it. If you're good at forms and are able to go over your application with a fine-tooth comb on your own, you don't need the SCS. As far as I am aware it didn't speed up my application at all. A friend (American) did her application without the SCS and I (Canadian) did mine with - both were processed just under the 4 month mark. Both were incredibly straightforward applications.

The pros:
- They have a direct phone line to the UKBA, so if a question arises, they can call on your behalf (ie: I mentioned my children in the "any other info" section but didn't include birth certificates - the officer asked if I wanted her to call the UKBA and ask if they were necessary. I said no, and they weren't required, but who knows what situation could arise where that would be a helpful option).
- You keep all original documents. Not that keeping your passport is of any use since you can't leave the country, but your partner would be able to.

The Cons:
- £80 plus whatever it costs you to drive/park. (I had to drive 30min to Canterbury)
- you still have to get to wherever you can enrol your biometric data (enrolment was £19.50 or something close to that)

All in, I spent over £1200 on my application that took 4 months, when I could have spent £100 more and done the PEO (I tried, appointments were impossible back in Nov). Obviously this is my opinion, but if I had known the SCS wouldn't help speed up the process I wouldn't have paid the extra money for it.

Thank You for the update. I live near My Council. The place is very busy always. I was under the impression that they were providing a very good service.

Thing is, if you had a tricky application or didn't speak/read English well, then it's very valuable. And the officer I had was a lovely woman who was very thorough...but one would think that if the CW has most of their job done by an officer at a local council, the applications would be processed faster. I actually wrote that in an e-mail to Kent County Council in hopes maybe (just maybe!) they'll pass that on to the UKBA/Home Office/whatever it is now. I was told that my application was the most straightforward and well put together she'd seen in the SCS pilot program so I guess a lot comes down to how well you put together an application!

I was only going to use it as s last resort if I couldn't get a PEO appointment my wife's application s hopefully straightforward her English is excellent thanks for replies...