David Cameron and Europe at odds over benefit tourism issue PM claims generous welfare abused by non-active Europeans while Brussels argues EU migrants are net contributors theguardian/world/2013/oct/15/david-cameron-europe-benefit-tourism A row erupted on Monday between David Cameron and Brussels after Downing Street said a European commission report showing that more than 600,000 EU citizens in Britain are classified as non-active highlighted the pull factor of Britains generous welfare system. The commission said that No 10 had completely failed to prove that the UK benefits system was being abused, and argued that EU nationals acted as a net benefit to Britain. Jonathan Todd, the spokesman for the European employment commissioner, László Andor, told the Guardian: They have completely failed to come up with any specific evidence that there is systematic or widespread abuse of the system. On the contrary, EU nationals are net contributors to the UK welfare system. They pay more in tax and social security contributions than they receive in benefits. So the more EU migrants you have the better off the UK welfare system is. Downing Street dismissed the criticisms. The prime ministers spokesman said: The European commission isnt in charge of our immigration policy. The British government is, and I can tell you what the British government is doing. The commission attacked Downing Street after No 10 seized on a report, due to be published this week by Andor, which showed that there are 611,779 non-active EU migrants living in Britain. The prime ministers spokesman said in response to the report, which was leaked to the Sunday Telegraph: There is widespread concern in this country and actually in other countries around issues that are in this area. This government does have a very active agenda around reducing the so called pull factors on this. The 600,000 includes groups such as children and students and the like, but nonetheless there is widespread concern. The spokesman added that the government was seeking to address the pull factors that attract EU migrants by seeking to tighten access to the NHS and housing benefit and toughening the habitual residence test. This is the process which allows European Economic Area migrants to claim a right of residence, thereby allowing them to claim benefits. Iain Duncan Smith, the work and pensions secretary, waded into the row when he accused the commission of blocking attempts to reform the habitual residence test. He told MPs: I do not want to find myself in the middle of a debate between some of the media and the European Union, so let me simply say that our own assessment – our habitual residency test – currently prevents people who could be working and not on benefits from claiming those benefits. It is the commission that is trying to get us to change that, and I am utterly refusing to do so. The commission dismissed Downing Streets claims. Todd said: On the pull factor, they have been consistently claiming that EU nationals are getting access to UK benefits and that they shouldnt be getting access to benefits – the whole benefits tourism thing. They just cant come up with the figures. They have only got anecdotal evidence here and there of particular people who have been fraudulently claiming benefits. The commission pointed out that: • The proportion of non-active UK citizens in Britain is higher than the equivalent proportion of non-active EU nationals in Britain. Just under half (43%) of UK citizens aged over 15 are classified as non-active. This compares with 30% of EU nationals in the UK. There are 2.3 million EU residents in Britain, of whom 611,779 are non-active. • A relatively small number of EU citizens in Britain – 60,000 – are claiming jobseekers allowance, which works out at around 10% of the total non-active EU group. This compares with a 28% figure for the EU as a whole. The 60,000 figure is from the latest Department for Work and Pensions figures, according to Jonathan Portes of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research. • Duncan Smith wrongly claimed in 2011 that EU citizens are costing Britain more than £2bn in benefits. This was revised down to £150m. Todd said: Even for the £150m they havent produced any figures to back up that claim.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 07:31:55 +0000
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