Migrant worker child allowance

[Frederick]

I read that thousands of East European migrants can and do claim child benefit at the rate of £907.40 a year for a single child and £608.40 for each additional one left at home  while  they work in the UK . This is permitted  under EU rules and over 50,000 Poles who do not automatically get child benefit in Poland as its means tested there . for them .... have applied for child benefit for their children left in Poland .applications already this year...over £45 million............Does France pay these benefits to their migrant workers who leave their children in their country of origin and come to France to work  ?   Already 230.000 ...Poles are  registered to live and  work in the UK  but thats not the true figure ......probably thousands more . Southampton council cannot say the  number they have.....they think between 10 and 30 .000 .thats just one town . Do French people working in the UK claim for their  kids .....I suppose they do ? so what do English  workers get from France for the kids they leave at home ?

[Rob Roy]

Presumably if they are working and paying their taxes in the UK they are entitled to UK social benefits, this would include family allowance, which was paid direct to the mother when I was getting it - I don't know if it has changed, probably goes straight into a bank account now?

I would think French people would also claim, as they have every right to do. I don't know about British people working in France, but I would imagine there is some sort of reciprocal arrangement? (Are there any British working here whose families have stayed in the UK?!)

 

[Frederick]

This is all news to me .........I had no idea that if a guy went  off to work in another EU country..he could claim allowances for the family he left behind at the rate paid by the country he was working in .....It .seems a strange thing when his  country has a means tested system in place and the family may be too well off  and not quallify ...he can  then claim the allowance in another EU country .. its madness the system wants levelling off .

[Rob Roy]

I might be quite wrong in all of this - as I said above I am only presuming from your first post that that is the criteria. If the UK system was also means tested perhaps not everyone would then qualify? (I am not advocating that, before anyone thinks I am). At least you are talking about people who are working and therefore paying contributions . What about those who arrive, aren't working, and yet can still claim various benefits? (A whole new can of worms, that one[Www])

[Sunday Driver]

Regardless of whether they're means tested or not, benefits are available to those who qualify for them - whether they're Poles living in the UK, Brits living in France, or whatever.

If people qualify for unemployment benefit, why shouldn't they have it?

There will be quite a few immigrants with comfortable company pensions who are claiming benefits in France - exemption from heathcare contributions through their E106/E121.......

 

 

[KathyC]

Double post

[KathyC]

[quote user="Sunday Driver"]

 

There will be quite a few immigrants with comfortable company pensions who are claiming benefits in France - exemption from heathcare contributions through their E106/E121.......

 

 

[/quote]

I'm not disagreeing with what you are saying regards people claiming benefits to which they are entitled, but it's worth pointing out that holders of E106/E121 may not be making contributions  directly into the French health service, but the UK government makes payments for them because they have contributed into the system in the UK. That's not quite the same thing as being exempt. Also , if you have a comfortable company pension, you'll be paying tax in France as well.

[Rob Roy]

If people qualify for unemployment benefit, why shouldn't they have it?

No reason at all - but should they qualify in the UK when they have not contributed to any system within the EU?

[Sunday Driver]

[quote user="Rob Roy"]

If people qualify for unemployment benefit, why shouldn't they have it?

No reason at all - but should they qualify in the UK when they have not contributed to any system within the EU?

[/quote]

I thought this thread was about Polish workers.  They will have contributed to a system within the EU.  They also qualify in the UK if that's the criteria that's set down by the UK government in accordance with EU regulations.

[Rob Roy]

Sorry SD, getting our wired crossed I think. I thought you were making a comment about the end of my earlier post

"What about those who arrive, aren't working, and yet can still claim various benefits? (A whole new can of worms, that one) "

when I was not referring to any person of an EU member state, but those from outside it.

 

[Sunday Driver]

OK, Rob.  It wasn't clear that you'd switched the debate to non-EU claimants.....[;-)]

 

 

[Will]

Kathy C (not getting at you personally because this argument is often put forward, you are just the one who mentioned it this time round) - I too have paid into the UK system for some 40 years or more. But because I work in France then some 60% of what I get goes in social security and taxes to the French authorities, for which, apart from a percentage refund of health charges, I get b***er all in the way of benefits. Why should those who choose not to work, many of whom are, in reality, far better off than me, be entitled to what amounts to state aid in France? (I'm not talking about those with E121, rather those whose E106 has expired).

And, back to the point, why should migrant workers in UK, most of whom are there to do essential jobs that the British do not want to do for whatever reason, not be entitled to similar benefits that British workers receive?

Keep the red flag flying....[:)]

[LesLauriers]

Will said

"Why should those who choose not to work, many of whom are, in

reality, far better off than me, be entitled to what amounts to state

aid in France? (I'm not talking about those with E121, rather those

whose E106 has expired)."

Will - what on earth are you on about,  

[Lollie]

How many english workers are in France but leave their children in the UK,  not many I guess?

[andyh4]

Sorry Lolllie

but what has that got to do with the price of cheese?

Where within the EU a person decides to leave his family is immaterial to the arguement.  If (as Will says) you pay into a system of benefits, why should you not be able to call upon those benefits.

The fact is that most Brits bring their children with them because housing in France is comparitively cheap and they can afford to bring their families with them - indeed by selling up in the UK they cannot afford not to bring them.

With most Poles however the cost of accommodation must seem astronomical.  It is a financial impossibility to bring the family with them and they live (if that is the word) in very small, cramped and often shared appartments with perhaps 3-5 wage earners needed to finance the rental.  They simply cannot afford to move to the UK - even supposing they wished to do so.  (Most will tell you it is just a way to earn good money for a few years to fund their life back in Poland).

And if they did bring their families with them, I guess someone would be complaining about how they were using school resources and benefiting from a better health service than back home

[Benjamin]

Mrs Benjamin and I never had any children between us but we didn't whinge when part of our NI contributions went towards the education budget.

Likewise when Mrs Benjamin was diagnosed with a lifetime diability we probably took up a disproportionate amount of the health budget and when we decided to live in another country within the EU she was immediately issued with an E121 (under the age of 60 years) and I was included as a dependent.

IT'S THE WAY THE SYSTEM IS.

If a Polish or any worker from another EU country  legally benefits from  THE SYSTEM then that's the way it is.

Benjamin

[KathyC]

[quote user="Will "]

Kathy C (not getting at you personally because this argument is often put forward, you are just the one who mentioned it this time round) - I too have paid into the UK system for some 40 years or more. But because I work in France then some 60% of what I get goes in social security and taxes to the French authorities, for which, apart from a percentage refund of health charges, I get b***er all in the way of benefits. Why should those who choose not to work, many of whom are, in reality, far better off than me, be entitled to what amounts to state aid in France? (I'm not talking about those with E121, rather those whose E106 has expired).

And, back to the point, why should migrant workers in UK, most of whom are there to do essential jobs that the British do not want to do for whatever reason, not be entitled to similar benefits that British workers receive?

Keep the red flag flying....[:)]

[/quote]

Will

I haven't taken this personally but I think that we have crossed wires. If you're talking about people who have a large amount of capital and are living on it whilst claiming CMU (hope that's right) then I'm absolutely against it; it seems to me to be a loophole that's well overdue for closing. I think that must be who you're talking about. I was referring to those people who do have a current E121/E106 and about whom SD said that they had comfortable pensions and were exempt from healthcare contributions. I was just pointing out that their healthcare contributions were made for them by the UK government so something was going into the system on their behalf, as well as the tax which they pay on these pensions. I'm sure we're saying the same thing.

"Power to the people!"