Ok we submitted the spouse settlement visa application on 16th June, today 22nd July my wife receives the decision email...

Dear Mrs Washy

Application Reference : xxxxxxxxxxx

A decision has been made on your application and your documents are being returned to the Visa Application Centre (VAC). You will be contacted again by the VAC once these documents have been received and they are ready for you to collect. If you have chosen to have your documents couriered to you, these will be despatched by the VAC once they have been received.

Please do not attend the application centre until you have been contacted by the VAC. UKVI contact details can be found at https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-outside-uk

UK Visas and Immigration
British Embassy Manila
So now she is ludicrously excited and the first question she asked is can she go UK now - making the assumption it's successful application (I hope so!) then has anyone successfully managed to travel before the date submitted on the visa application? The BRP guidance says ...

How do I travel to the UK without my
biometric residence permit?

Successful applicants will be issued with a
vignette in their passport which is valid for
30 days from the date you indicated as your
intended travel date in your visa application.
The vignette is proof only of your permission
to enter the UK and will allow you to travel to
the UK. If you do not travel to the UK within
this 30 day period, your visa will expire and
you will need to apply for another 30 day
visa. You will have to pay a fee for this.
The only thing I can see through searching is a replacement BRP from the below link at £72 but she doesn't have her first BRP yet!!

https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits/replace

Although all she needs is a new vignette in her passport??

Or will she genuinely just have to wait until the travel window is open?? She'll be unhappy at that - but the whole process is loaded from the start when they do not tell you how long the process will be...

Any advice appreciated.

Washy!