Mr Redwood’s contribution to Work and Pensions Questions, 28 Jan

Mr John Redwood (Wokingham) (Con): Is the Secretary of State looking favourably on the idea that workers coming here from Europe to earn a living should have to establish a contribution record over a reasonable period of time before becoming eligible to receive benefits?

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr Iain Duncan Smith): The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions, my hon. Friend the Member for Fareham (Mr Hoban) and others are engaged on this matter with our European partners. We do not think it right that somebody who has made no contribution to this country should be able to walk in here on day one and take benefits, as is being proposed. I promise my right hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (Mr Redwood) that I will not allow that to happen.

6 Comments

  1. Old Albion
    January 29, 2013

    Until the EU say ‘you must give benefits from day one’ and the government capitulate.

  2. Graham Swift
    January 29, 2013

    In other words the UK government is powerless to stop this. Barroso and van Rompuy give the orders and we must obey.

  3. Gwen Tanner
    January 29, 2013

    Is this a CAST IRON GUARANTEE from IDS, that he WILL NOT allow any migrants from Romania or Bulgaria who choose to come here after December 2013 to be allowed benefits of any kind? We supposedly are going to advertise in their own countries and inform them they should take out medical insurance so if they are ill they will not have access to our NHS. This is not believable! Cameron says the NHS is free to everyone at point of entry?

  4. Pleb
    January 29, 2013

    The forth reich are in control now.

  5. Barbara
    January 29, 2013

    Perhaps, Mr R you could engage in writing how Mr IDS, will stop benefits for immigrants? As I see it, they’ve already laid the law down, so if we don’t apply it we will be fined. Is this posturing on IDS side, or does he really know what he’s going to do and hasn’t told the rest of us yet? Either way, I like his stand, the question is will he keep it up when the pressure gets going? Quite honestly, we’ve seen and heard it all before and its getting boring seeing things ‘not’ change, and ministers comply. Why can’t we just simply say NO, and be done with it.

  6. Michael Collins
    January 30, 2013

    I really do not know what all the hype is about. IDS is not fomulating something new. I am a retired military and civil service person in France and watch what happens here closely. If any person of another member state elects to work and reside in that state then he must be fully paid up in his National Insurance [NI] from his previous residential state. This is obtainable from the British side with no problems. If that person has no record or a very sketchy payments into his/her NI, this is taken into account by the French authorities, as laid down by European Regulations, and the claimant will not get any assistance from the state until he/she has developed an NI account and paid in sufficient funds to warrant an award. All previous work in any member state can count towards this NI account. The only help a person recieves who has not got paid up NI funds is that his/her children will be educated on state funds as no children can be turned away by any member state for education purposes. It is therefore in the interest of any person migrating for work into another EU state that his/her NI funds contributions are sufficient to be awarded any claim. Or, is it that UK ignore these rules and pay out “willy nilly” when entering the country? – UK re-inventing the wheel again which is already in place to stop this misuse of benefits? yes I am sure…………….! Take a look at other member states and see what they do!

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