Some facts about EEA immigrants claiming benefits in the UK

An often heard complaint on these forums is that immigrants "come here for the benefits" - this is changing, but the facts are quite hard to find, especially for those not speaking several languages, so I thought I'd highlight a few.

Let me ask everybody to not derail this into an immigrants are good/bad topic, we have done that to death recently and it is boring. I just wanted to highlight a whole raft of legislation that came into effect on the first of January in the UK and illustrate the broader movement within the EU to fix issues with people migrating to claim benefits.

I wanted to write this post as a Dutch proposed law is now at the Raad van State (House of Lords equivalent) which will make it impossible for those that do not speak Dutch of a sufficient level to claim benefits any longer. Similar laws are being proposed in numerous member-states making it increasingly likely that the EU will have to respond to growing nationalist sentiments in the whole of the Eurozone.

In the UK things are changing as well, the government has already altered the law to ensure anybody in the UK for under 3 months can not be considered habitually resident (the requirement for receiving benefits).

Since the 1st of January EEA immigrants can no longer claim housing benefits if they are registered as jobseekers. They can if they are working - or lost employment due to disability.

From 1 January 2014, to receive income-based JSA an EEA national must from the outset provide evidence that they are “seeking employment” and have a “genuine chance of being engaged”, and will only be able to continue to receive JSA after six months if they can provide “compelling evidence” that they are continuing to seek employment and have a genuine chance of being engaged - in other words: If we can demonstrate you are here just to claim benefits you are out on your ear.

So the legislation is coming into place and is very likely to stand the test of EU-law as increasingly the EU is changing to reflect that such changes are necessary.

The only problem that exists now is that an already overworked DWP has to enforce this new legislation - how do you prove that people are here "seeking employment?" - again, in the Netherlands they have started these changes over 10 years ago - introducing drastic reform to the whole job-seeker allowance system, this is the next step in resolving this issue.

In the meantime, if you were offended by the Gypsies in Rovrum program, feel free to report those openly stating they were here to claim benefits to the DWP.

An often heard complaint on these forums is that immigrants "come here for the benefits" - this is changing, but the facts are quite hard to find, especially for those not speaking several languages, so I thought I'd highlight a few.

 

Let me ask everybody to not derail this into an immigrants are good/bad topic, we have done that to death recently and it is boring. I just wanted to highlight a whole raft of legislation that came into effect on the first of January in the UK and illustrate the broader movement within the EU to fix issues with people migrating to claim benefits.

 

I wanted to write this post as a Dutch proposed law is now at the Raad van State (House of Lords equivalent) which will make it impossible for those that do not speak Dutch of a sufficient level to claim benefits any longer. Similar laws are being proposed in numerous member-states making it increasingly likely that the EU will have to respond to growing nationalist sentiments in the whole of the Eurozone.

 

In the UK things are changing as well, the government has already altered the law to ensure anybody in the UK for under 3 months can not be considered habitually resident (the requirement for receiving benefits).

 

Since the 1st of January EEA immigrants can no longer claim housing benefits if they are registered as jobseekers. They can if they are working - or lost employment due to disability.

 

From 1 January 2014, to receive income-based JSA an EEA national must from the outset provide evidence that they are “seeking employment” and have a “genuine chance of being engaged”, and will only be able to continue to receive JSA after six months if they can provide “compelling evidence” that they are continuing to seek employment and have a genuine chance of being engaged - in other words: If we can demonstrate you are here just to claim benefits you are out on your ear.

 

So the legislation is coming into place and is very likely to stand the test of EU-law as increasingly the EU is changing to reflect that such changes are necessary.

 

The only problem that exists now is that an already overworked DWP has to enforce this new legislation - how do you prove that people are here "seeking employment?" - again, in the Netherlands they have started these changes over 10 years ago - introducing drastic reform to the whole job-seeker allowance system, this is the next step in resolving this issue.

In the meantime, if you were offended by the Gypsies in Rovrum program, feel free to report those openly stating they were here to claim benefits to the DWP.

They can make all the legislation they like, but if it's not enforced on the ground, they might as well not bother.

That's the problem on so many fronts these days. Powers are often in place, but with all the cutbacks in staffing levels etc, they haven't a hope of ensuring that they are complied with.

An often heard complaint on these forums is that immigrants "come here for the benefits" - this is changing, but the facts are quite hard to find, especially for those not speaking several languages, so I thought I'd highlight a few.

 

Let me ask everybody to not derail this into an immigrants are good/bad topic, we have done that to death recently and it is boring. I just wanted to highlight a whole raft of legislation that came into effect on the first of January in the UK and illustrate the broader movement within the EU to fix issues with people migrating to claim benefits.

 

I wanted to write this post as a Dutch proposed law is now at the Raad van State (House of Lords equivalent) which will make it impossible for those that do not speak Dutch of a sufficient level to claim benefits any longer. Similar laws are being proposed in numerous member-states making it increasingly likely that the EU will have to respond to growing nationalist sentiments in the whole of the Eurozone.

 

In the UK things are changing as well, the government has already altered the law to ensure anybody in the UK for under 3 months can not be considered habitually resident (the requirement for receiving benefits).

 

Since the 1st of January EEA immigrants can no longer claim housing benefits if they are registered as jobseekers. They can if they are working - or lost employment due to disability.

 

From 1 January 2014, to receive income-based JSA an EEA national must from the outset provide evidence that they are “seeking employment” and have a “genuine chance of being engaged”, and will only be able to continue to receive JSA after six months if they can provide “compelling evidence” that they are continuing to seek employment and have a genuine chance of being engaged - in other words: If we can demonstrate you are here just to claim benefits you are out on your ear.

 

So the legislation is coming into place and is very likely to stand the test of EU-law as increasingly the EU is changing to reflect that such changes are necessary.

 

The only problem that exists now is that an already overworked DWP has to enforce this new legislation - how do you prove that people are here "seeking employment?" - again, in the Netherlands they have started these changes over 10 years ago - introducing drastic reform to the whole job-seeker allowance system, this is the next step in resolving this issue.

 

In the meantime, if you were offended by the Gypsies in Rovrum program, feel free to report those openly stating they were here to claim benefits to the DWP.

The government can't even prevent illegal immigrants working for them so its unlikely they can stop people claiming benefits, and 3 months isn't really worth the effort. Benefits for non British citizens should be contribution based and not a an automatic right after 3 months.

Is this the OP finally admitting that some but by no means all EU migrants have come here for generous benefits?

The government can't even prevent illegal immigrants working for them so its unlikely they can stop people claiming benefits, and 3 months isn't really worth the effort. Benefits for non British citizens should be contribution based and not a an automatic right after 3 months.

Benefits should only be paid to those who have contributed to the system including British citizens. The whole benefit fiasco will continue bring abused while ever we have universal benefits. Why is the Uk such a soft touch:loopy:

Benefits should only be paid to those who have contributed to the system including British citizens. The whole benefit fiasco will continue bring abused while ever we have universal benefits. Why is the Uk such a soft touch:loopy:

What if someone has worked all their life and never claimed a penny and then their offspring need help after leaving education, should it fall on the parent to help them or has the parent already paid enough into the system to cover the benefit they need.

An often heard complaint on these forums is that immigrants "come here for the benefits" - this is changing, but the facts are quite hard to find, especially for those not speaking several languages, so I thought I'd highlight a few.

 

Let me ask everybody to not derail this into an immigrants are good/bad topic, we have done that to death recently and it is boring. I just wanted to highlight a whole raft of legislation that came into effect on the first of January in the UK and illustrate the broader movement within the EU to fix issues with people migrating to claim benefits.

 

I wanted to write this post as a Dutch proposed law is now at the Raad van State (House of Lords equivalent) which will make it impossible for those that do not speak Dutch of a sufficient level to claim benefits any longer. Similar laws are being proposed in numerous member-states making it increasingly likely that the EU will have to respond to growing nationalist sentiments in the whole of the Eurozone.

 

In the UK things are changing as well, the government has already altered the law to ensure anybody in the UK for under 3 months can not be considered habitually resident (the requirement for receiving benefits).

 

Since the 1st of January EEA immigrants can no longer claim housing benefits if they are registered as jobseekers. They can if they are working - or lost employment due to disability.

 

From 1 January 2014, to receive income-based JSA an EEA national must from the outset provide evidence that they are “seeking employment” and have a “genuine chance of being engaged”, and will only be able to continue to receive JSA after six months if they can provide “compelling evidence” that they are continuing to seek employment and have a genuine chance of being engaged - in other words: If we can demonstrate you are here just to claim benefits you are out on your ear.

 

So the legislation is coming into place and is very likely to stand the test of EU-law as increasingly the EU is changing to reflect that such changes are necessary.

 

The only problem that exists now is that an already overworked DWP has to enforce this new legislation - how do you prove that people are here "seeking employment?" - again, in the Netherlands they have started these changes over 10 years ago - introducing drastic reform to the whole job-seeker allowance system, this is the next step in resolving this issue.

 

In the meantime, if you were offended by the Gypsies in Rovrum program, feel free to report those openly stating they were here to claim benefits to the DWP.

Ah, Utopia.

If we were able (which the Government are not) to withhold all benefits to any of our immigrant friends. What would they do if they had no brass.

1) Steal.

2) Return home.

3) Take us to the Court of Human Rights.

4) Pop off to the nearest food bank.

Angel1

Let's just be clear: people on here are bitching about EEA immigrants coming in and claiming benefits. The simple fact is that the UK and the EU as a whole is recognising the flaws in that thinking and are rapidly changing the law (well before the Channel5 program).

Changing law takes some time to take effect, but it will have an effect.

As far as SevenRivers is concerned - you really need to have some lessons in reading, I will happily provide them at the going rate. I have NEVER stated that there were not some people coming here to claim benefits. I have however always stated that the SYSTEM needs to change. In effect what everybody here is repeating without realising.

Let's just be clear: .......

 

... In effect what everybody here is repeating without realising.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

There's a VERY simple solution. It's a solution that many other countries have applied successfully for the main part.

You get to our border, you're asked if you have a job to go to if you enter. If the answer is yes, then asked to provide proof. If the answer is no then spin them 180° and tell them to Foxtrot Oscar.

If you do have a job and you lose it within 5 years of initial entry - back to country of origin.

There's a VERY simple solution. It's a solution that many other countries have applied successfully for the main part.

 

You get to our border, you're asked if you have a job to go to if you enter. If the answer is yes, then asked to provide proof. If the answer is no then spin them 180° and tell them to Foxtrot Oscar.

 

If you do have a job and you lose it within 5 years of initial entry - back to country of origin.

Sounds like a good plan.

Angel1

There's a VERY simple solution. It's a solution that many other countries have applied successfully for the main part.

 

You get to our border, you're asked if you have a job to go to if you enter. If the answer is yes, then asked to provide proof. If the answer is no then spin them 180° and tell them to Foxtrot Oscar.

 

If you do have a job and you lose it within 5 years of initial entry - back to country of origin.

I'm liking this!