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Benefits income threshold for migrant workers announced (19 February 2014)

Date: 19/02/2014
Duncan Lewis, Immigration Solicitors, Benefits income threshold for migrant workers announced

The government has announced a minimum income threshold before migrants become eligible for UK benefits, in a bid to allay fears among some sectors of the British public over “benefit tourism”.

Although recent studies have shown that migrants contribute more to the UK economy in taxes than they withdraw in benefits – and UK nationals are more likely to claim welfare benefits than migrants – the government has acted after pledging to do more to discourage “benefit tourism”. The move to curb benefits to migrants stems from a pre-Christmas row between the government and backbench Conservative MPs over border restrictions being lifted on Bulgaria and Romania on 31 December.

David Cameron introduced restrictions to claiming welfare benefits for new migrants before Parliament’s Christmas and New Year break.

Despite media reports that the UK would be inundated with new migrants from Romania and Bulgaria after border restrictions were lifted on 1 January, the anticipated influx of new migrants has failed to materialise.

However, new migrants now have to wait for three months before being able to claim welfare in the UK – and can only claim benefits for six months unless they have a realistic prospect of obtaining work in the UK.

The new income threshold was announced today (19/02/14) and will come into effect on 1 March.

The threshold is intended to establish whether a new migrant can be classed as a worker rather than a jobseeker and therefore be entitled to benefits in the UK.

The EU has criticised the UK for bringing in stringent restrictions on new migrants claiming welfare benefits in Britain.

Mr Cameron has already introduced restrictions on migrants claiming housing benefit from April and the new income threshold for migrants will be set at £150 for a 24-hour week – the equivalent of earning the minimum wage for a UK worker.

The threshold will classify a migrant worker as being “genuine and effective” if they fulfil the income threshold requirement, or “marginal and ancillary” if their job does not pay them £150 per week and fails to provide them with a 24-hour working week.

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said:

“The British public are rightly concerned that migrants should contribute to this country – and not be drawn here by the attractiveness of our benefits system.

“These reforms will ensure we have a fair system – one which provides support for genuine workers and jobseekers, but does not allow people to come to our country and take advantage of our benefits system,” he added.

The new income threshold for migrants will apply to workers or jobseekers from Iceland, Norway and Lichtenstein, as well as workers from EU member states.

Low-paid workers from EU member states often take jobs in the UK which British workers will not accept, such as fruit picking and packing, as well as cleaning jobs.

Company bosses in the UK – including former Chief Executive of Marks & Spencer and current CEO of Ocado, Sir Stuart Rose – recently called for even more migrant workers to help boost the British economy. Sir Stuart and other company bosses praised the strong work ethic of migrant workers, who are willing to work long hours for relatively low rates of pay.

The Labour Party has pledged to end the low-pay loophole which many migrant workers become trapped in, if it comes to power in the 2015 General Election.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg recently said that without EU migration to the UK, the City of London and the NHS would “fall over”.

Duncan Lewis Immigration Solicitors

Duncan Lewis is a leading firm of immigration solicitors and can advise EU migrants on the right to work in the UK, as well as housing benefit and student visas.

Duncan Lewis is also a leading Legal Aid solicitor – and has a successful track record in handling asylum cases and asylum appeals in the UK.

For expert legal advice on right to work in the UK – and all immigration and asylum law matters – contact Duncan Lewis immigration solicitors on 020 7923 4020.


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