UK Expats Loss of Benefits

[chiang mai]

This is the third time the subject has been raised so I'm going to post the article here which talks about the potential for expats to suffer loss of benefits if the Denmark model is adopted:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/12048580/Boris-Johnson-Denmark-offers-answer-to-Camerons-EU-crisis.html

In summary: Cameron is looking for ways to deny paying benefits to immigrants for four years from the date of arrival, Denmark has a scheme that prohibits immigrants from buying property for four years in order to protect its property market from the Germans, (well they would wouldn't they!)

Cameron is considering using the Denmark model and this would solve his problems, except that if he does use that approach it will mean that returning UK expats will also be denied access to benefits for four years!!

An extract from the article reads:

“An eligibility test for benefits based on residency could be more acceptable to other EU governments since, while it would temporarily deny access to new arrivals, it would not directly discriminate between UK and EU nationals," he said. "The question would be how many British people might be affected, a devil which would need to be addressed in the detail of the plan."

All of this is still at a very high level and no formal proposal has yet been put forward although an opportunity to do so is looming.

This may well come to nothing, but regardless, I think this is one that is worth watching, especially since we know how much Cameron loves soft targets UK expat pensioners!

[Eff1n2ret]

The "Danish opt-out" is not analogous to Cameron's proposal to deny benefits to migrants for four years, and to justify that by applying it to returning expats as well. There is a world of difference between a Romanian deciding he'd be better off in the UK and deciding to up sticks - he's simply making a choice - and an expat returning to his own country, which could well be because he's nowhere else to go.

Cameron's on borrowed time. He put forward some very modest proposals, the very least which might persuade some Eurosceptic waverers that it is worth hanging on in the EU, and he's been told that he's got to give way. I can't see him coming out of these negotiations with anything worthwhile, and he will have little left except the "fear factor" to argue for staying in the EU. I reckon whichever way it goes he'll be gone within two years at the latest.

[lungbing]

Thank God for that! Maggie must be spinning at a high rate of revolutions.

I'm old enough to have voted for the UK to join the Common Market, which I did. Some short-rsed Frenchman once called us a nation of shopkeepers, and I thought a Common Market would be good for the UK. I did not foresee that entailing the current mess, nor would I have voted for 'closer European union'.

[uptheos]

returning UK expats will also be denied access to benefits for four years!!

Never going to happen

[chiang mai]

returning UK expats will also be denied access to benefits for four years!!

Never going to happen

We hope not.

[mmh8]

I would be able to understand this better if it were stated

UK govnt to restrict rights of all British citizens no longer residing in Britain.

The money will be used to generate income from arms and aerospace ventures instead.

[billd766]

I would be able to understand this better if it were stated UK govnt to restrict rights of all British citizens no longer residing in Britain. The money will be used to generate income from arms and aerospace ventures instead.

Give me your reasoning why you say this.

I started paying income tax when I was just 15 and 3 months and now at 71 I am still paying income tax but getting nothing from it.

[i claudius]

I would be able to understand this better if it were stated UK govnt to restrict rights of all British citizens no longer residing in Britain. The money will be used to generate income from arms and aerospace ventures instead.

Give me your reasoning why you say this.

I started paying income tax when I was just 15 and 3 months and now at 71 I am still paying income tax but getting nothing from it.

Join the club

[i claudius]

returning UK expats will also be denied access to benefits for four years!!

Never going to happen

We hope not.

Seems even more reason to keep a UK address,

[emilymat]

I thought the great Cameron crusade - which will fail, - is based on the premise of EU citizens not receiving benefits until they have paid into the social security system for 4 years.

I would bet almost every UK non resident on this forum has paid in for longer than that. I'll kick off with 47years up to retirement.!!!

[evadgib]

A few months ago HMG dispatched RAF transporter planes on several occasions to recover medics who had contracted ebola while working for NGO's in West Africa & yesterday they funded a Brit into space for 6 months!

I can feel an FoI request coming on

Edited December 16, 2015 by evadgib

[chiang mai]

I thought the great Cameron crusade - which will fail, - is based on the premise of EU citizens not receiving benefits until they have paid into the social security system for 4 years.

I would bet almost every UK non resident on this forum has paid in for longer than that. I'll kick off with 47years up to retirement.!!!

I think you'll find it's more than that and that UK expats would be at risk if the proposal was put forward and accepted. And may I remind you that there was a proposal at the start of this year whereby visiting UK expats would be granted free access to the NHS provided they had paid a minimum of ten years NI contributions. That proposal was very quietly dropped and replaced with another that requires visiting expats to 150% of NHS charges for any given procedure - the latter was adopted and is now in force without any fanfare or publicity.

[Jip99]

I thought the great Cameron crusade - which will fail, - is based on the premise of EU citizens not receiving benefits until they have paid into the social security system for 4 years.

I would bet almost every UK non resident on this forum has paid in for longer than that. I'll kick off with 47years up to retirement.!!!

I think you'll find it's more than that and that UK expats would be at risk if the proposal was put forward and accepted. And may I remind you that there was a proposal at the start of this year whereby visiting UK expats would be granted free access to the NHS provided they had paid a minimum of ten years NI contributions. That proposal was very quietly dropped and replaced with another that requires visiting expats to 150% of NHS charges for any given procedure - the latter was adopted and is now in force without any fanfare or publicity.

You are surely not suggesting that forked-tongues are at work ?

[MaeJoMTB]

Most of us aren't silly enough to tell our government where we live or what our plans are.

So it doesn't matter what they plan, say or do.

[chiang mai]

I thought the great Cameron crusade - which will fail, - is based on the premise of EU citizens not receiving benefits until they have paid into the social security system for 4 years.

I would bet almost every UK non resident on this forum has paid in for longer than that. I'll kick off with 47years up to retirement.!!!

I think you'll find it's more than that and that UK expats would be at risk if the proposal was put forward and accepted. And may I remind you that there was a proposal at the start of this year whereby visiting UK expats would be granted free access to the NHS provided they had paid a minimum of ten years NI contributions. That proposal was very quietly dropped and replaced with another that requires visiting expats to 150% of NHS charges for any given procedure - the latter was adopted and is now in force without any fanfare or publicity.

You are surely not suggesting that forked-tongues are at work ?

It's more than just forking tongues, it's deceit at every level of government and an outrageous attack on expat pensioners, yet again.

[salavan]

The "Danish opt-out" is not analogous to Cameron's proposal to deny benefits to migrants for four years, and to justify that by applying it to returning expats as well. There is a world of difference between a Romanian deciding he'd be better off in the UK and deciding to up sticks - he's simply making a choice - and an expat returning to his own country, which could well be because he's nowhere else to go.

Cameron's on borrowed time. He put forward some very modest proposals, the very least which might persuade some Eurosceptic waverers that it is worth hanging on in the EU, and he's been told that he's got to give way. I can't see him coming out of these negotiations with anything worthwhile, and he will have little left except the "fear factor" to argue for staying in the EU. I reckon whichever way it goes he'll be gone within two years at the latest.

"he'll be gone within two years at the latest". AND <deleted>++ING GOOD RIDDANCE SOONER THE BETTER AND TAKE GEORGE OSBOURN WITH HIM