To wonde why overseas CHB payements are *SO* skewed towards Poland?

[Buxhoeveden]

I realise the DM have their own 'unique' agenda in requesting the figures, publishing them etc.

But I'm having a brain fail on exactly why Poland are so far out ahead. More of the Poles who live in the UK have DC?

What's the rational (non-DM) explanation?

Nobody has a problem with that, talkinpeace. Come here, work here, settle here. Claim child benefits for your children - who are here with you. It's all fine. Nobody has a problem with that.

It's the practice of claiming benefits (that are meant to help people already living IN this country), being sent home to their families - who aren't even living here!
It's taking the piss.
Send your wages home if you want. But don't have the cheek to claim benefits and send them home to your children who aren't even LIVING HERE.

I really hope Cameron sticks to what he's said and sorts the mess out.
He has a lot of backing on this one.

I've been in this position. You can't choose where to claim. I had to fill in multiple forms for both countries (where I lived with the kids and where my partner was working / paying tax), and there are cross border rules to determine which country pays.
If I'm living in country A (eg Poland) with kids using schools, healthcare etc but paying no tax, and the kids' dad is living in country B (eg UK) and paying tax, how is it fairer for country A to pay out any benefits? Country B is getting all our tax revenue.
I also think British people living in Britain with British-born kids have NO IDEA how much paperwork is involved in getting registered for CB, it's not like you just walk into a post office and someone hands you cash. I even had to take the kids to the municipal office a couple of times during this dual-country period to get certified proof they were still alive.

likalixer
It's the practice of claiming benefits (that are meant to help people already living IN this country), being sent home to their families - who aren't even living here!
If they bring the kids here then the UK taxpayer will have to cover

• state funded schools and nurseries
• tax credits
• the NHS
• family sized homes

for them which is a lot more than the cost of Child Benefit.

Are other countries in the EU talking about scrapping child benefit? Is child benefit universal or means tested in other EU countries?

I'm in Sweden. It's universal here and the rate increases for each child.

I work in Switzerland but live in France. Switzerland pays the child benefit for my kids who are not even living there. If both countries have agreed that this is how the system works, I certainly don't see it as 'having the cheek' to claim.

Child benefit is not pocket money for children, but help for parents - if you think it's unfair that people working in the UK claim it, then you would also have to start paying benefits for children who live in the UK, but whose parent(s) work and pay taxes elsewhere.