PM Cameron to make British welfare off limits to migrants

LONDON: -- Prime Minister David Cameron will push the EU to curb migrants' access to British welfare payments during talks ahead of the country's membership referendum, he told the Times on Friday.

Cameron will demand that inhabitants of new European Union member states face restrictions when seeking work in Britain and limits on their access to benefits.

"I think we particularly need to look at the rules on benefits," he told the British daily."One of the advantages of British membership of the EU is that British people go and live and work in other countries. But I think there is a problem with people living [here] and not working. "Could the whole problems of immigration, problems with welfare tourism...be part of...making sure we have a European relationship that works for Britain?" he asked. "Yes of course it can."

Cameron is hoping to reach an agreement with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has backed calls for some powers to be reclaimed by national governments. The Conservative Party leader accepts that the government is powerless to stop Romanian and Bulgarian job-seekers arriving in Britain from January.

Full story: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2013_09_06/PM-Cameron-to-make-British-welfare-off-limits-to-migrants-0176/

-- THE VOICE OF RUSSIA 2013-09-06

About time but not just EU migrants - should be ALL migrants

Make it reciprocal too. No access for Brits to Spanish health care of the Costa Del Yob.

Good. Next; welfare and other state hand-outs not available to immigrants to all EU counties. If it sounds like trench mentality, I'm sorry, but there are just too many people wandering around trying to get hand-outs. Yet another proof of gross overpopulation of the planet, .....if any proof were needed.

Very good idea!

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Off-topic posts deleted.

At least the soup kitchens and food banks that are being set up all over the UK will still be free.....

Government benefits should be restricted to tax payers and their direct families in every country, not just citizens, but all that qualify as tax payers.

It will obviously take some thought to come up with what is fair to be a qualified tax payer. And that is the real question.

Does not take a financial genius to figure out that this money will run dry if it is spent on a bunch of squating free-loaders!

About time but the answer is very simple. If (for example) a Romanian pitches up in England or Germany seeking benefits then it's fair he/she should get the benefits if meeting the correct criteria. He/she should get exaclty what they would have got in their home country and the home country should pay it -wether family allowance, income support, medical benefits or housing etc. Same should apply to Brits and everytbody else too within the EU. Those from outside the EU, what are they doing being allowed in the country anyway on anything other than a tourist visa (which allows them to 'tour')? If they have been granted student or working visa/permission this should not qualify them for benefits of any kind except medical if they are paying NI. Not rocket science really is it?

Ok, I disagree with all the previous comments. Criticizing and implying that migrants are to blame for the UKs economic woes is nothing more for than the oldest of ploys, of blaming strangers or outcasts for the problems of society. I strongly suspect that if the total amount paid to these people by the UK government was totaled it would amount to a fraction of one percent of the economy. Banning these people from benefits would make no difference to anything in the UK. This rant is in the same vein as banning Thai wives of UK citizens from benefits, rabble rousing about nothing of importance.

A unified Europe, free from wars, and with open economic borders, is of benefit to all. Part of this process is receiving migrants, and allowing them to play a part in the society and in the economy. Rather than blame these people for whatever problems Britain has, look for a cause closer to home.

Racist trolling is not permitted. Post deleted.

If the benefit entitlement of Bulgarians visiting the UK were "harmonised" with the benefit entitlement of Brits visiting Bulgaria then no one could complain about it being unfair or not in the spirit of the EU.

As a taxpayer I have to think this is one way to stop people queueing up to get on the UK gravy train.

Ok, I disagree with all the previous comments. Criticizing and implying that migrants are to blame for the UKs economic woes is nothing more for than the oldest of ploys, of blaming strangers or outcasts for the problems of society. I strongly suspect that if the total amount paid to these people by the UK government was totaled it would amount to a fraction of one percent of the economy. Banning these people from benefits would make no difference to anything in the UK. This rant is in the same vein as banning Thai wives of UK citizens from benefits, rabble rousing about nothing of importance.

A unified Europe, free from wars, and with open economic borders, is of benefit to all. Part of this process is receiving migrants, and allowing them to play a part in the society and in the economy. Rather than blame these people for whatever problems Britain has, look for a cause closer to home.

He never said they were to blame for the UK's economic woes. In joining the EU the field of play needs to be level. Part of this is government support programs

that would cause welfare migration. The joining members maybe should not be allowed to join until this is so.

About time Cameron showed some right-wing credentials instead of being a soft-touch when it came to national issues. I think he knows he needs a boost in the polls...

Ok, I disagree with all the previous comments. Criticizing and implying that migrants are to blame for the UKs economic woes is nothing more for than the oldest of ploys, of blaming strangers or outcasts for the problems of society. I strongly suspect that if the total amount paid to these people by the UK government was totaled it would amount to a fraction of one percent of the economy. Banning these people from benefits would make no difference to anything in the UK. This rant is in the same vein as banning Thai wives of UK citizens from benefits, rabble rousing about nothing of importance.

A unified Europe, free from wars, and with open economic borders, is of benefit to all. Part of this process is receiving migrants, and allowing them to play a part in the society and in the economy. Rather than blame these people for whatever problems Britain has, look for a cause closer to home.

A unified Europe for Europeans I agree with, letting every other nation in that isn't even European sponging about is wrong and and always has been.

Folk in Thailand know this and often say to me how wrong it is and that Thailand doesn't allow this to happen.

It's simple, if you aren't from a nation or people and want to live then you must pay your way. The cradle to grave welfare state has got to be MASSIVELY reformed or it will eventually crash.

Government benefits should be restricted to tax payers and their direct families in every country, not just citizens, but all that qualify as tax payers.

It will obviously take some thought to come up with what is fair to be a qualified tax payer. And that is the real question.

Everyone in the UK pays tax. It's called VAT.

It isn't just an immigrant problem, it is a laziness problem. There should be a time limit and it should be more closely regulated to make sure people work. The amount should get less and less until you are forced to work or starve ! Benefits should be more restricted and you should not get benefits for every kid, it should be for every household, you chose to have 10 damn kids, nobody made you do it. There is too much money being blagged by too many chancers...

its all rhetoric designed to allay the fears of the British public who will be voting UKIP in droves at the next election, nothing will actually come of it...........or did u really think he wanted to stop the hoardes of migrants that come to the UK and work hard for peanuts in factories and domestic settings to make his rich buddys even richer

Not to mention the fact that you're talking about several million voters there that want to bring their families over to join the free for all.

About time but not just EU migrants - should be ALL migrants

Be careful, these messures tend to be reciprocated!

If the benefit entitlement of Bulgarians visiting the UK were "harmonised" with the benefit entitlement of Brits visiting Bulgaria then no one could complain about it being unfair or not in the spirit of the EU.

As a taxpayer I have to think this is one way to stop people queueing up to get on the UK gravy train.

The UK should of thought this through when they joined the European Economic Community and turned their back on the Commonwealth. They put trade barriers up for Australia & New Zealand and now they wonder why these countries look to Asia & especially China for their trade partners.

Comment: I did get a 4-year work visa out of the UK in the late 1990's on the strength of having a pommy grandfather who was born near Bristol in 1865!! What a laugh!

better still stop all E.U PERSON comming here unless they have £10,000 to deposit in a bank account and full paid up health insurance for 1 year and same goes for english traveling to work abroad no work no walfare

better still stop all E.U PERSON comming here unless they have £10,000 to deposit in a bank account and full paid up health insurance for 1 year and same goes for english traveling to work abroad no work no walfare

Sounds OK but they will get sent to another gov department to pay the bill.

Government benefits should be restricted to tax payers and their direct families in every country, not just citizens, but all that qualify as tax payers.

It will obviously take some thought to come up with what is fair to be a qualified tax payer. And that is the real question.

Does not take a financial genius to figure out that this money will run dry if it is spent on a bunch of squating free-loaders!

Does not take a financial genius to figure out that this money will run dry if it is spent on a bunch of squating free-loaders!

Sorry I dont know if you are otherwise engaged in gainful employment or not, should you not be, I suggest you could be employed in, take your pick of, Greece,Spain,Italy or Portugal etc.

Never mind Euro trash free-loaders, what about the work shy oxygen thieves the UK has?

Suggest DC goes back to his roots and sorts out the sink estate scum.

Ok, I disagree with all the previous comments. Criticizing and implying that migrants are to blame for the UKs economic woes is nothing more for than the oldest of ploys, of blaming strangers or outcasts for the problems of society. I strongly suspect that if the total amount paid to these people by the UK government was totaled it would amount to a fraction of one percent of the economy. Banning these people from benefits would make no difference to anything in the UK. This rant is in the same vein as banning Thai wives of UK citizens from benefits, rabble rousing about nothing of importance.

A unified Europe, free from wars, and with open economic borders, is of benefit to all. Part of this process is receiving migrants, and allowing them to play a part in the society and in the economy. Rather than blame these people for whatever problems Britain has, look for a cause closer to home.

, gawd, your united Europe ARE closer to home, they are trying desperately to get into UK. You just wait till the next EU applicant joins, if allowed.

Oh, you try finding the 500,000 EU folk that have been lost in the UK, but YOU know they are paying taxes and not working somewhere cash in hand eh, EH. Strange 500,000 lost folk live and survive in the UK..

This may or may not make a big dent in the overall spending of the Government? The Britts I know living in LOS sure think it is a Mess and the Govt don't try to fix it....

Government benefits should be restricted to tax payers and their direct families in every country, not just citizens, but all that qualify as tax payers.

It will obviously take some thought to come up with what is fair to be a qualified tax payer. And that is the real question.

Does not take a financial genius to figure out that this money will run dry if it is spent on a bunch of squating free-loaders!

What do you propose people on a basic state pension do? Benefits include not paying council tax for instance, free dental and medical care, etc. There are also many others like members of the armed forces who have served abroad and unable to work as the result of injuries. There are many single people who do not have 'direct families. I think your idea is half baked.

However, something has to be done to remove the scroungers from the benefits gravy train, particularly those with a horde of offspring, the bad back syndrome and who have never done a days work.

About time but not just EU migrants - should be ALL migrants

Try learning about the topic before spouting - it already is off-limits for non-EU nationals from all countries ... including according to the law, for Britons returning home after more than 2 consecutive fiscal years overseas. If you return to the UK and bring in your Thai spouse/partner and any non-Brit Thai-born kids, then none of them have recourse to public funds for 5 years.

About time but the answer is very simple. If (for example) a Romanian pitches up in England or Germany seeking benefits then it's fair he/she should get the benefits if meeting the correct criteria. He/she should get exaclty what they would have got in their home country and the home country should pay it -wether family allowance, income support, medical benefits or housing etc. Same should apply to Brits and everytbody else too within the EU. Those from outside the EU, what are they doing being allowed in the country anyway on anything other than a tourist visa (which allows them to 'tour')? If they have been granted student or working visa/permission this should not qualify them for benefits of any kind except medical if they are paying NI. Not rocket science really is it?

Another one with no idea of what the law actually says.

EU citizens do not automatically get benefits when they enter the UK - they have to have worked for at least a year (or been self-employed for the same amount of time) before they can claim unemployment benefits - but only the contributions based benefits. They cannot claim the non-contributory benefits.

Non-EU citizens can only claim benefits after being sponsored in as a spouse or partner and having completed five years in country and having gained Indefinite Leave to Remain or full settlement. Before 12 July 2013, those on settlement visas would have immediate access to full benefits, now new entrants do not.

About time but the answer is very simple. If (for example) a Romanian pitches up in England or Germany seeking benefits then it's fair he/she should get the benefits if meeting the correct criteria. He/she should get exaclty what they would have got in their home country and the home country should pay it -wether family allowance, income support, medical benefits or housing etc. Same should apply to Brits and everytbody else too within the EU. Those from outside the EU, what are they doing being allowed in the country anyway on anything other than a tourist visa (which allows them to 'tour')? If they have been granted student or working visa/permission this should not qualify them for benefits of any kind except medical if they are paying NI. Not rocket science really is it?

Another one with no idea of what the law actually says.

EU citizens do not automatically get benefits when they enter the UK - they have to have worked for at least a year (or been self-employed for the same amount of time) before they can claim unemployment benefits - but only the contributions based benefits. They cannot claim the non-contributory benefits.

Non-EU citizens can only claim benefits after being sponsored in as a spouse or partner and having completed five years in country and having gained Indefinite Leave to Remain or full settlement. Before 12 July 2013, those on settlement visas would have immediate access to full benefits, now new entrants do not.

Be careful. Some folk are easily confused by facts...