EU renegotiation statrment

Revealed: thousands of Britons on benefits across EU
• At least 30,000 Britons on unemployment benefit in EU, Guardian research shows
• Unemployed Britons in richer EU states outnumber claimants from those countries in UK

Unemployed Britons in Europe are drawing much more in benefits and allowances in the wealthier EU countries than their nationals are claiming in the UK, despite the British government’s arguments about migrants flocking in to the country to secure better welfare payments.
At least 30,000 British nationals are claiming unemployment benefit in countries around the EU, research by the Guardian has found, based on responses from 23 of the 27 other EU countries.
The research shows more than four times as many Britons obtain unemployment benefits in Germany as Germans do in the UK, while the number of jobless Britons receiving benefits in Ireland exceeds their Irish counterparts in the UK by a rate of five to one.

There are not only far more Britons drawing benefits in these countries than vice versa, but frequently the benefits elsewhere in Europe are much more generous than in the UK. A Briton in France receives more than three times as much as a jobless French person in the UK.
The research is being published after the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, visited London this month for talks with the prime minister, David Cameron, who is campaigning to “reform” EU freedom of movement as part of his attempt to rewrite the terms of Britain’s EU membership before putting the issue to a referendum in 2017, if he is still in power.
In Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, France and Ireland the number of Britons banking unemployment cheques is almost three times as high as the nationals of those countries receiving parallel UK benefits – 23,011 Britons to 8,720 nationals of those nine countries in the UK.
The findings highlight a more nuanced and complex picture across Europe than the simplistic version painted by anti-immigration and anti-EU campaigners led by Ukip and elements in the Conservative party.
About 2.5% of Britons in other EU countries are claiming unemployment benefits – the same level as the roughly 65,000 EU nationals claiming jobseeker’s allowance in the UK.



http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jan/19/-sp-thousands-britons-claim-benefits-eu

Which are the best countries in the world to live in if you are unemployed or disabled?

Estonia

With a population of just 1.5 million, Estonia does not have a very large welfare budget in either absolute or relative terms. However, unlike many countries, much of the Estonia’s welfare budget is administered online, keeping costs down. Citizens can apply for all relevant benefits once, without having to fill out lots of very similar forms.
For those out of work, there are two groups of benefits. To qualify for unemployment insurance benefit, claimants have to be registered unemployed with the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund, have made at least one year’s contributions over the preceding three years and to be out of work involuntarily. Workers contribute 1.4% of salary and employers pay 2.8%. Benefit levels are 50% of salary for the first 100 days, 40% thereafter. The insurance fund also continues to pay unemployed workers’ health insurance premiums.

France

France’s unemployment benefits are among the most generous in Europe, payable even for net salaries of €6,959 (£5,021) per month. That may seem to favour high earners in a country where the average monthly net salary is just over €2,000, however a spokeswoman for UNEDIC, which administers the benefits says that less than 1,000 unemployed people receive the top amount, out of a total 2.6 million claimants. The current system, negotiated between unions and employers last year, kicks in after four months’ employment. Workers aged under 50 can claim unemployment benefit for two years, while those aged over 50 can claim for three years. On average, benefits are about 65% of employees’ salary. To qualify, people must be registered with the Pôle Emploi jobcentres and be actively seeking work. For those who haven’t worked for long enough to qualify, or at all, the RSA (Revenu de Solidarité Active) is a safety net, providing a minimum wage for the unemployed. A childless single person can receive €514 per month, and a couple with two children €1,079.
French sick pay can be claimed if employees have contributed to the state-run insurance scheme, the Assurance Maladie. The benefit totals 50% of the daily net wage. The conditions require beneficiaries to have worked for 200 hours over a period of three months before claiming the benefit or to have paid contributions on a salary of at least €9,754 for the six months beforehand. For example, if a worker receives a daily wage of €75, the daily allowance (paid fortnightly) will be €37.50 per day. Claimants with three dependent children or more receive 66% of their daily net wage. Unemployed people can also obtain sick pay at a daily maximum rate of €43 if they receive unemployment benefit or have been out of work for 12 months or less. However unemployment benefit is suspended for the period of sick pay to avoid a double allowance being paid.
Paid maternity leave in France, paid at 100% of salary (but capped at €540 per week) is available to mothers for a total of 16 weeks if they have contributed to the Assurance Maladie. The total allowance rises to 34 weeks for twins and 46 for triplets. Paternity leave of 11 days, also paid by social security depending on contributions, is available to fathers. France also provides child benefit for two children or more aged under 20, regardless of employment history. Until now, parents have received a flat rate of €129 per month for two children, rising to €461 for four, although negotiations currently under way may lead to a means-tested system. Tax credits – paid as a refund – are available for low earners with salaries below €16,251 for a single person or €32,498 for a couple. Half of costs paid for childcare and domestic workers – including cleaners, gardeners and IT help – can be deducted from an individual’s taxable income, up to a ceiling of €12,000.

Germany
Under the German social insurance system, unemployment premiums account for 3% of workers’ earnings – half paid by the employer. Anyone who has paid those premiums for at least one year over the past 24 months is entitled to unemployment benefit. Those with children can claim two-thirds of their previous salary, while those without children can claim 60%. The duration of benefit payments varies according to how long you have paid into the system and your age. Those under 50 can claim for one year, those aged 50-54 can claim for 15 months, those 55 or older for 18 months and two years for those over 58, as long as they have paid in for at least 48 months.Thereafter, if a person remains unemployed and wishes to continue claiming benefits, they receive a flat-rate unemployment benefit called Arbeitslosengeld II (ALG II), which is meant to ensure minimum income standards. Benefit levels are reviewed every January, to ensure they are in line with the cost of living. Claimants receive €391 per month if living alone or €353 for those who are married or in a cohabiting relationship. Those not living independently get €313, while 15- to 18-year-olds not at school, receive €296. Unemployed parents receive an additional allowance for each child: €261 for children aged seven to 14 and €229 for those under seven. Other allowances for those on ALG II include: €10 for nursery/school activities; the full cost of buying furniture and household equipment; while extra allowances for pregnant women, or those with specific health needs (such as orthopaedic shoes) are assessed on case-by-case basis.
But payments are automatically reduced by 30% for three months if a recipient refuses to accept suitable work offered, or makes no effort to find work, and by a further 30% if they repeat the same behaviour. A person can earn an extra €165 a month, working less than 15 hours, without it affecting their benefit.
If employees cannot work due to illness, employers will continue to pay their salary for six weeks, after which healthcare insurance, or Krankengeld, kicks in. Sick pay is financed by equal contributions from employer and employee of 15.6% of net salary and usually amounts to around 70% of the employee’s salary, payable for a maximum of 78 weeks over a three-year period. Employees can also claim up to 10 days sick pay per child. Those unable to work due to illness or injury receive payments of 80% of their prior net earnings for up to 78 weeks. In some cases, 100% is paid. Where the disability is longer-term, individuals receive a pension (regardless of age). Those who are unable to work more than 20% due to a work injury or an occupational disease (around 67 are officially listed) are entitled to a pension equal to just over two-thirds of their previous year’s earnings, up to a specified maximum. This is payable until the age of 65, unless the old-age pension kicks in before then. However, it is very difficult to claim successfully.
Health insurance covers all comprehensive medical care benefits, including the total cost of physical rehabilitation and necessary appliances. Those with a disability, who are unable to work more than three hours a day, are eligible for a disability pension as long as they have contributed to the social security scheme for a minimum of five years. Those unable to work more than six hours a day are entitled to a partial pension. The average disability pension is around €8,900. Disabled people are entitled to health treatment via the nationwide health insurance scheme at no extra cost, but must have been paying into the system prior to the disability. Seriously disabled people are entitled to further allowances and special employment protection.
Disabled children are automatically insured with their parents in the health insurance scheme without having to pay any additional costs. Children and students with disabilities are entitled to various rights, including wheelchair access and a sign language translator in certain circumstances. Companies receive benefits and tax breaks for employing people with disabilities. Grants are available of up to €2,557 per project to adapt the home of a disabled person to their individual needs. They are also entitled to housing benefit of up to €1,500, depending on the severity of the disability; help towards taxi fares to enable mobility and participation in normal life; and free public transport. There is also money to cover care at home, measured on three levels, according to an individual’s care needs.
Kate Connolly, Berlin

Ireland

To qualify for jobseeker’s benefit, you must be aged under 66 and be unemployed for at least three days out of seven. You must also demonstrate to the Department of Social Protection that you are “capable of work” and have enough social insurance contributions. Individuals receive €188 per week, with extra payable for those with children. You can be disqualified from the benefit if you leave work voluntarily, lose your job through misconduct or are aged under 55 and receive redundancy of at least €55,000. There are also penalties for failure to attend meetings aimed to get you back to work.
The overarching criteria for disability allowance is that individuals are residents of Ireland and have a disability that is expected to last for at least one year and substantially restricts a person from undertaking work that would otherwise be suitable for them. “Deciding officers”, appointed under Irish social welfare legislation, determine who is entitled based on the merits of each individual case. Applicants are required to have their doctor complete a medical report which is reviewed by one of the department’s medical assessors. Payments are means-tested above €50,000 of any capital. The maximum payment for those aged 26 or over is €188 per week for individuals. Those with children receive extra.
If a disabled person goes back to rehabilitative work they can earn up to €350 a week and still receive the allowance. However, that individual must first get permission from the department before taking up that job. Henry McDonald, Dublin

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/15/which-best-countries-live-unemployed-disabled-benefits

Tommy Monk wrote:OK try this one...


http://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/640055/David-Cameron-s-EU-renegotiation-emergency-brake-migrants-benefits-explained-Brexit