To worry that benefits (WTC, Housing, CB, CT) will be stopped for EU UK residents

[feellikeahugefailure]

It's obvious that EU residents will be allowed to stay, but could they try to limit benefits for these people?

Without these it would be near impossible for many people to afford to have a family, myself included.

[MephistophelesApprentice]

I suspect that it's a threat Theresa May will use in negotiations.

[Bambamrubblesmum]

Pure speculation but I would suspect so, once A50 is evoked. There would be no legal requirement to give benefits if we are outside of the EU. This would also reflect the government's intention to crack down on non-EU benefit entitlements.

[InternationalHouseofToast]

"It's obvious that EU residents will be allowed to stay" - the view on that seems to be "only if UK citizens can stay in the Costa Brava / Loire Valley" so I'm not sure yet that it's obvious.

Certainly if they impose a points based immigration system going forward, new immigrants from the EU wouldn't be entitled to these benefits because of the salaries they'd have to attract to work here in the first place.

[AndNowItsSeven]

I would imagine it's only new immigrants that would be affected. But that would be no different than a British person emigrating to say Australia they would be able to claim benefits there either.

[AndNowItsSeven]

• wouldn't

[Samcro]

wouldn't it be a good thing?
seeing as the government is cutting so much money from the benefits bill.
surely better than targeting the disabled again

[Samcro]

think i should add....for new people. not ones here now

[mrgrouper]

I lived in France for a year and was entitled to zero despite being disabled
We should not be paying for immigrants

[SaucyJack]

Well TBH OP, I don't think too many people are going to be up in arms if immigrants can now no longer choose to move to the UK a raise a family at the expense of UK taxpayers. Many countries have systems in places where immigrants have to be in a financial position to add to the economy- and not take away- before moving there. It's not that unfair or unreasonable.

But having said that.... there plenty of Britons claiming benefits in plenty of other EU countries, so it probably works out pretty fairly in the grand scheme anyway.

[AgentProvocateur]

I don't think it's a given either that EU residents will be allowed to stay, sadly.

[PrimalLass]

We should not be paying for immigrants

This. Sorry OP, I voted remain, but as we are leaving anyway then I do think that the days of paying benefits to people from other countries should be well and truly over.

[callherwillow]

there are plenty of Britons claiming benefits in plenty of other EU countries

Very non contentiously, are there?

[Mouikey]

I can't imagine anything like this could be retrospectively applied, but hey, with everything that has happened over the last month, anything is possible.

I wouldn't worry about it yet though, it will take an eon to go through parliament.

[PrimalLass]

Oops, pressed post too soon.

Although if have been living/working here a certain number of years and paying tax etc then that would be different. Evidence of planning to live here long term and contribute.

[TinyTear]

I am EU and have been living and working here non-stop for 15 years. I have paid tax and never received any benefits (just one year Child Benefit in 2012 until they changed the rules)

And I agree with stopping them unless there is some proof people have paid into the system.

When I moved to the UK I could have claimed unemployment / job seekers for 4 months until I got my job but I DIDN'T as I hadn't contributed to the UK (I brought savings instead) ... Something that pissed me off about a German woman in my job who the first thing she had done when moving to the UK was claim benefits for the 2 months she took to get her job...

As for me I will get British citizenship at some time and will get my EU nationality for my children and husband so we have 2 passports each

[SaucyJack]

Yep callherwillow

This article may only refer specifically to unemployment benefits, but if it's part of a wider pattern re: benefits claims then I really don't think the UK is getting such a bad deal actually.

If we cancel reciprocal benefit arrangements with the EU and all our "own" British unemployed have to come home- it may end up costing the UK more in benefits.

[pointythings]

I think this would be a good time to looking into making benefits contributory for everyone regardless of nationality. It works in other countries.

[RortyCrankle]

It seems sensible to me.

[BagPusscatnip]

I think this would be a good time to looking into making benefits contributory for everyone regardless of nationality. It works in other countries

Massively agree with this

[GrandadGrumps]

I think this would be a good time to looking into making benefits contributory for everyone regardless of nationality. It works in other countries.

What would happen to the people who fall through the cracks?

[mrgrouper]

callherwillow
My dad, a pensioner, lives in France and gets no French benefits whatsoever.

[KP86]

Non-EU immigrant here and entitled to nothing beyond stat maternity pay should we have another DC. No WTC, CB, Housing etc. Doesn't matter how high/low our income is or how much tax etc we pay.

We do get NHS but only because of a reciprocal agreement.

[StrawberryQuik]

I was coming on to say I'll miss my CB if it goes but DH (British) will just be able to get it instead...but then CB also counts towards NI contributions....sigh....I don't know why I keep coming on brexit threads they just stress me out

Either way I see giant beaurocratic forms in my near future

[pointythings]

Grandad the same thing that happens to people who currently fall through the cracks, I should think. And while we are at reform anyway, let's look into better support for people who cannot work, people with fluctuating conditions and carers. Employers want a flexible workforce but are not prepared to be flexible themselves. That has to change.

[Dacc]

WTC, Housing, CB, CT

Nothing personal by we must be seen as right old mugs by the outside world if people could just pitch up and claim all those benefits without any contribution by the claimant.