Legal News
Over 370,000 Migrants Claimed Welfare Benefits in 2011, Research Reveals (23 January 2012)
Date: 23/01/2012
Over 370,000 migrants claimed work-related welfare benefits last year, according to the results of recent research. The Government revealed the statistic following matching welfare benefits records to border control and tax information on their databases. A sample of 9,000 benefit claimants showed that two per cent were ineligible to receive state-funded payouts. Chris Grayling, the Employment Minister, stated that the majority of claims were “perfectly legitimate”, adding that the full picture was yet to be revealed. While the Government found only a small number of cases in which migrants were ineligible to receive benefits, experts believe that the results of the research are likely to result in a debate as to whether or not the welfare benefits system has become overly generous and, as a result, has attracted the attention of so-called “benefit tourists”. The nationality of welfare benefit claimants was first recorded upon the Coalition Government coming into power.
The first “data-matching” was conducted by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), HM Revenue and Customs and the UK Border Agency. A follow-up sample investigated the records of 9,000 non-EEA nationals, with three-quarters being able to be matched. Of the matched records, 98 per cent of individuals were entitled to claim benefits while two per cent appeared to lack a lawful immigration status. The DWP is currently investigating these cases. Keith Best, formerly of the Immigration Advice Service, claimed that it was a challenge for migrants to claim welfare benefits in the UK.
Duncan Lewis’ welfare benefits solicitors can support migrants who have been accused of claiming benefits illegally.