Revealed: thousands of Britons on benefits across EU

Revealed: thousands of Britons on benefits across EU

Monday 19 January 2015 10.04 GMT
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.

Dr Roxana Barbulescu, researcher on international migration at the University of Sheffield, said the numbers claiming unemployment benefits were minuscule. “Thirty thousand people, or 2.5% of all British nationals, in other EU member states means that the overwhelming majority of Brits abroad as well as European citizens in Britain are not an undue burden for the countries in which they live.”

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

At least 1 overseas workshy skiving benefit scrounger posts here and elsewhere. 
People under retirement  age should work if they are fit and able.
Choosing to live off benefits shouldn't be a lifestyle choice.
Especially if you spend all day on forums slagging off hard working lefties.

Angry Andy wrote:At least 1 overseas workshy skiving benefit scrounger posts here and elsewhere. 
People under retirement  age should work if they are fit and able.
Choosing to live off benefits shouldn't be a lifestyle choice.
Especially if you spend all day on forums slagging off hard working lefties.

Give it a rest Andy.

Its a serious issue, Nick. 
The conservatives keep banging on about lefty benefit scroungers - I hate ALL scroungers.
Is it not a tad hypocritical for an unemoloyed tory living off benefit and his wife's income to carry on about leftys doing the very same thing?.
The benefits system in the UK is in a mess, it should only go to those who CANNOT work, not to those who use unemployment as a lifestyle choice.

Angry Andy wrote:Its a serious issue, Nick. 
The conservatives keep banging on about lefty benefit scroungers - I hate ALL scroungers.
Is it not a tad hypocritical for an unemoloyed tory living off benefit and his wife's income to carry on about leftys doing the very same thing?.
The benefits system in the UK is in a mess, it should only go to those who CANNOT work, not to those who use unemployment as a lifestyle choice.

I'm not Nick.

I just don't think you should be getting personal about another member, otherwise I agree with you. Technically, people in the UK can't use unemployment as a lifestyle choice, unless they fund themselves, but it seems that the rules are very loosely applied - and that's under the Tories.

Sorry about that Raggs. My mistake. I still cannot get my head around child benefit being posted directly to eastern europe for dependents of eastern europeans working here.
I guess its a reciprocal arrangement.
Which Britain loses out on.

I agree with you on that Andy .

If it is a problem, why doesn't the UK write into the law that no one can take benefits out of the country, or that everyone must work regardless or be looking for work.  

All of this fuss, and the simple answer is outlaw it!  Wouldn't you love to see some of those lords and ladies in gray coveralls, wielding a crescent wrench and screwdriver...finally, making an honest living?

The figures dont add up...

I read an article the other day that said in 2015 we paid out around 650 million to EU nationals here in unemployment benefits... so even if there were only 65000 EU nationals claiming here, then that equals 10000 each for the year!

JSA only paid about 73 quid a week in 2015... not 200 quid a week as figures claim!!!

Also the article i read said that there were over 3000000 (3million) EU here and 40% of them get some form of in work benefits too!