Immigrants face two-year benefits ban in UK

Unemployed immigrants from the new European Union states will be barred from claiming most welfare payments in the UK for at least two years, it was confirmed today.

Immigrants who do get work will be eligible for child benefit and Tax Credits immediately.

After 12 months’ uninterrupted employment, they will also be able to take a test which could entitle them to a range of welfare payments, including Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Home Secretary David Blunkett said a new register will be created to monitor the number of eastern European arrivals and the jobs they do.

In what he described as “sensible conditions” on immigrants, Mr Blunkett pledged he would re-impose restrictions on the labour market if they took too many jobs.

The moves were designed to deal with an expected influx of thousands of migrants from eight former communist countries – including Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic – when they join the EU in May.

Mr Blunkett said: “When we first set out our position, only those countries with high levels of unemployment were planning to introduce restrictions on work for accession nationals.

“Since then other countries have changed their stance.

“It clearly makes sense for us to ensure that our approach does not leave us exposed.”

He added: “The measures we are announcing today send a very clear message - if you register, you can come to the UK to work legally and contribute, but you cannot claim benefits.

“Tougher benefit rules will make sure our generosity is not exploited.

“If the registration scheme shows an imbalance in the labour market, we will re-impose restrictions.”

Legal immigration was in Britain’s “best interest” to help fill 550,000 vacancies in our labour market, Mr Blunkett said.

The “workers registration scheme” will monitor numbers of immigrant workers, the jobs they do and the regions of the UK in which they settle.

The measures will apply to the eight eastern European states, but not to Malta and Cyprus, which also join on May 1.

Today’s package will require employers to verify that workers from the eight countries have registered.

Asked if the measures were designed to prevent Roma people from arriving in the UK to claim benefits, Mr Blunkett’s official spokesman said: “There are certain communities which cause us more concern than others.”

A Department for Work and Pensions spokeswoman said immigrants from the accession countries would be eligible for child benefit and Tax Credits immediately if they were working.

They would be able to take a so-called “habitual residence test” after 12 months of uninterrupted employment – which could allow them to claim Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit.

Mr Blunkett’s official spokesman said those who choose to do self-employed work will not be required to register.

Immigrant workers will have full access to NHS treatment and be able to send their children to UK schools, but non-workers will only be entitled to emergency healthcare on the same basis as UK residents travelling to Europe, with costs being charged to their home country.

But the spokesman went on: “Accession nationals who come in and have no means of supporting themselves will be returned to their countries.

“If they come back and try to claim benefits they will show up on the database.

“We can remove people under the accession arrangements when they try to fraudulently claim benefits.”

Any immigrants – including those with families – who arrive in the UK but cannot find work or support themselves will be removed, added the spokesman.

In those circumstances children could be taken into care, he added.

Shadow home secretary David Davis said: “At last, the Government has recognised there is a problem – albeit it has misdiagnosed it and come up with a bureaucratic solution, which carries unnecessary risks.

“The most straightforward and fair method is to use the existing work permit system.”

He asked why the Home Secretary had decided not to use this system and instead opted for more “bureaucracy”.

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten said: “These proposals are a knee-jerk reaction to tabloid press campaigns.

“The Government has no evidence that there will be a problem with migration or benefit abuse.”

The Confederation of British industry welcomed the package as a “sensible balance”.

Director general Digby Jones, said: “Migration makes a huge contribution to the economic well-being of this country.

“The Government has rightly struck a sensible balance between allowing in the workers our economy needs and avoiding the dangers of excessive numbers.”