Should Our Benefit Money Be Shipped Abroad?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2632914/Child-benefit-worth-30million-paid-Britain-families-EU-Cameron-admits-impossible-stop-it.html

Here is £30m that could be given out in benefits to our needy families.

[emmie]

no it ain't. ^

[knowabit]

To jackthehat, why are children in other countries entitled to money from the UK?

[VHG]

>>both points are valid, those who have moved abroad likely paid their dues,

This money is NOT to pay for British children living abroad.

It is to pay for POLISH children born in Poland and living in Poland who have never set foot in Britain (for Poland also read any other EU country).

Basically if a Polish man comes to live in the UK and works in the UK then the UK have to pay his children's child benefit, even if the children are still in Poland.

Note this is at the UK child benefit rate, not the Polish child benefit rate.

And because we have a far higher standard of living than Poland this UK child benefit works out as quite a lot of money in Poland, enough to encourage a Polish man to come here to work, particularly if they have a lot of kids.

Note if the working man goes back to Poland they are supposed to tell the authorities so we can stop paying the child benefit, but how many "forget" and we are still paying child benefit to Polish children even if the working dad is back in Poland.

Another of the STUPID EU rules and one of the reasons I voted UKIP.

[jackthehat]

knowabit - Because the rules/laws dealing with these issues state that they are.
Conversely, should anyone be so inclined, they could move to Poland and claim for their British children living in Britain.

https://ec.europa.eu/eures/main.jsp?catId=9075&acro=living&lang=en&parentId=7857&countryId=PL&living=

[emmie]

how many would likely do that though, just because they can doesn't mean many would take up the offer, why do people move from Poland, Lithuania, and so on, because of lack of work in these countries, or the lack of decent wages, standard of living.

[New Judge]

Absolutely spot on VHG. One of the many "advantages" of our EU membership. This is one of the many examples of perceived unfairness that UK voters have identified. Until the last few days they were told to shut up as they were stuck with it. Now they've had a chance to demonstrate just how stuck with it they really are and the mainstream parties (in many EU nations) have finally sat up and taken notice. The electorate needs to keep them on the run and not cave in when a few minor cosmetic changes are agreed and hailed as "major reforms".

[VHG]

jackthehat, while I agree that it works both ways what is the child benefit rate in some of the poorer countries of Europe?

Certainly not worth considering moving there for that reason.

It was fairly obvious (though not to the EU politicians) that people from the poorer country were more likely to be attracted to a richer country to get the extra benefits, hence the huge influx to UK (and I assume Germany, France etc.) by people from the poorer Eastern Europe countries.

So if the child benefit rules are going to stay the same (and I don't think they should) then at least the child benefit should be paid by the UK at the LOCAL rate (Polish or whatever) and not the UK rate.

[emmie]

no they don't, unless it happens to be in an economy like Germany.

[sandyRoe]

I agree with VHG. If it has to be paid then it should be at the rate in the country where the children are living.

[New Judge]

Yes, and I'm sure the Polish child benefit rate - if it exists at all - is every bit as generous as that in the UK, Jack. (£20.30 pw for the first child, £13.40 per week for each one after that).

Also, those (including government ministers) hoping to see an end to UK child benefit being paid to EU migrants should read this:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/plan-to-cut-child-benefit-paid-to-eu-migrants-will-be-vetoed-says-brussels-9054566.html

It requires a "treaty change" and has to be approved by all 28 nations. Not a chance.

This highlights perfectly the folly of the EU and the preposterous way that taxpayers in the nations with higher incomes are being taken completely for a ride.

[emmie]

time we left and let them get on with it.

[sandyRoe]

Would a UK father working in Germany with children back home be able to claim their benefits?

[emmie]

you have to scroll down a bit

https://www.gov.uk/living-in-germany