Pre-settled Status Valid - BRC Expired - Need to Travel End of June

[lushajr]

I am an Albanian national with valid pre-settled status under the EUSS, valid until September 2025. I am married to an EU national and applied for settled status on February 25th, upon completing my 5 years of continuous residence. At that time, my Biometric Residence Card (BRC) had expired.

Key dates and current concerns:

Applied for Settled Status: February 25th
Biometrics Completed: March 14th; was informed to expect a response in 6 to 8 weeks.
Current Status: No communication received, and no Certificate of Application (COA) issued. The 8-week response window has now passed.

My primary concern is not the settled status application, as there is ample time for that process to resolve. However, I am currently without a valid BRC, making it impossible for me to travel. This is problematic as I have a trip planned to France (mix of work and leisure) on June 18th, which was booked last October under the assumption that reissuing the card would be straightforward.

Additional actions taken:

View and Prove: I can demonstrate my pre-settled status.
Settlement Scheme Helpline: Calls have been unsuccessful, with calls being cut off.
Legal Advisor: I've reached out to my lawyer who after a number of unanswered emails just said sent a curt text saying "don't book foreign travel until you have a BRP" . It’s important to note that it was a BRC previously, not a BRP.

I guess what I am saying... any help or advice greatly received.

[contorted_svy]

I would say you need to apply for a replacement BRC as soon as possible and travel on pre-settled status. Note that status will become online only at the end of 2024 so UKVI is trialling online accounts.

I would also say you can make a complaint to UKI as you didn't receive a COA in 8 weeks. Your pre-settled status is however still valid.