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European migrants 'will be denied housing benefit if they are on job-seekers allowance' European migrants 'will be denied housing benefit if they are on job-seekers allowance'
(about 20 hours later)
People moving to this country from Europe who are unable to find work will be denied housing benefit, according to two senior Conservative cabinet members.People moving to this country from Europe who are unable to find work will be denied housing benefit, according to two senior Conservative cabinet members.
Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith and Home Secretary
Duncan Smith and Home Secretary Theresa May, in an article in the Daily Mail, Theresa May, in an article in the Daily Mail, said that new
said that new European arrivals will not receive any state-funded help for rent European arrivals will not receive any state-funded help for rent
if they are claiming job-seekers allowance.if they are claiming job-seekers allowance.
Working immigrants who lose their Working immigrants who lose their job will be given six months
job will be given six months before their housing benefit is taken away. before their housing benefit is taken away.
Under emergency regulations that Under emergency regulations that took effect on January 1, all
took effect on January 1, all new EU migrants now have to wait for at least new EU migrants now have to wait for at least three months before
three months before they can claim out-of-work benefits. they can claim out-of-work benefits.
In their article, Mr Duncan Smith In their article, Mr Duncan Smith and Mrs May say: “For those
and Mrs May say: “For those migrants who do come here, we’re ensuring they are migrants who do come here, we’re ensuring they are unable to take
unable to take unfair advantage of our system by accessing benefits as soon as unfair advantage of our system by accessing benefits as soon as
they arrive.”they arrive.”
The article says that a new The article says that a new £26,000-a-year cap on household
£26,000-a-year cap on household benefit claims has affected 33,000 families and benefit claims has affected 33,000 families and encouraged up to
encouraged up to 19,000 to return to work. 19,000 to return to work.
It adds that a limit on economic It adds that a limit on economic migrants from outside the EU,
migrants from outside the EU, changes to the rules on family and student visas changes to the rules on family and student visas and a crackdown on
and a crackdown on bogus colleges have helped bring down net migration by bogus colleges have helped bring down net migration by nearly a
nearly a third from its peak. third from its peak.
In other changes, landlords will brightcove.createExperiences();
be fined up to £3,000 if they rent a property to an illegal immigrant and In other changes, landlords will be fined up to £3,000 if they
non-EU migrants will be expected to pay a levy of £200 a year to use the rent a property to an illegal immigrant and non-EU migrants will be
NHS.  expected to pay a levy of £200 a year to use the NHS. 
The changes to the housing The changes to the housing benefit rules will not affect UK and
benefit rules will not affect UK and Irish Republic nationals. Irish Republic nationals.
European nationals who have been European nationals who have been working in the UK, and are
working in the UK, and are subsequently made redundant and claim benefits, will subsequently made redundant and claim benefits, will not be
not be affected. affected.
Mr Duncan Smith and Ms May’s Mr Duncan Smith and Ms May’s article accuses Labour of “a
article accuses Labour of “a shameful betrayal of thousands of British workers”. shameful betrayal of thousands of British workers”.