Scandalous!! EU farce as British taxpayers hand over £1million EACH WEEK for children living outside UK:..... BRITISH taxpayers hand over £1million each WEEK for children living outside the UK, it is estimated. Britain spends an eye-watering £1million in child benefits The UK is obliged to fund 34,199 children living in other European Union countries, Treasury figures reveal. And the cost of remaining one of only four EU nations that make payments to non-resident children is £52million each year, campaign group MigrationWatch UK have calculated. The eye-watering sum is made up of both child benefit and tax credits handed to EU families of whom one parent is residing in the UK, even if their children have never lived in Britain. The Prime Ministers piecemeal approach to stopping the adverse affects on the UK is flawed. Hes like a draughts player trying to solve a chess problem Steven Woolfe, UKIP migration spokesman Critics point to the bill as further proof that Britains approach to the EU is in need of a game-changing move. UKIP migration spokesman Steven Woolfe also blasted David Camerons promises of reforming Britains EU benefits bill, claiming the Prime Ministers renegotiations are “like a draughts player trying to solve a chess problem”. He said: The Prime Ministers piecemeal approach to stopping the adverse affects on the UK from EU mass migration is flawed. “Hes like a draughts player trying to solve a chess problem. “This problem needs the game-changing move which is to withdraw from the EU altogether, then negotiate a fair and ethical migration policy with EU countries on our way out as an independent sovereign state. According to the Treasury, as of September 2014, the UK pays child benefit to 20,660 claimants for 34,199 children living in other EU member states. Each claimant receives £20.50 per week for their eldest or only child and a further £13.55 for every additional child. EU laws means children growing up outside of the UK are paid the same as those living in Britain, despite huge differences in the average cost of living between the countries, HMRC confirmed. GETTY The Conservative Party insisted Cameron is desperately attempting to halt payments abroad An HRMC spokesperson said: “European Economic Area migrant workers can generally claim Child Tax Credit and Child Benefit for children they are responsible for residing in another member state. “We are obliged under EU law to treat migrant workers and self-employed people equally to UK nationals – so we must pay the same benefits that we pay to UK nationals.” Not all awards of UK family benefits for children living in another member state are made at the full UK rate, the spokesperson added. The UK tops up any benefits paid by member states for children living abroad up to the level of the UK entitlement. The Conservative Party have insisted the Prime Minister is desperately attempting to halt payment of child benefit for non-resident children. A Tory spokesperson said: “As the Prime Minister said in his immigration speech, people find it incomprehensible that a family coming from another EU country can claim child benefit from the UK – at UK rates - and send it back to children still living in their home country. “That’s why he will make changes to welfare an absolute requirement in his renegotiation of Britain’s relationship with Europe. “Under his plan, EU migrants won’t be able to send back any child benefit or tax credits to children living elsewhere in Europe – no matter how long they have paid taxes in the UK. “This change will help reduce immigration from the EU and make Britain a country where if you work hard, you get out what you put in.” Related articles Campaign to get Britain out of the EU is gaining momentum Illegals who fiddled £130,000 in benefits may stay in Britain Iain Duncan Smith: We’ll root out the benefits cheats who pretend to be ill for money Recent reports suggest European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker could be prepared to cave in to Mr Cameron’s demands. Many believe a rumoured eleventh-hour welfare concession from the European Commission will be an attempt to stop the UK from leaving the EU. Mr Cameron has promised an in/out membership referendum in 2017 if the Tories remain in power after Mays general election. However, a Commission spokeswoman told the Daily Express that reports of Mr Juncker’s planned changes to EU benefits rules were merely speculation”. I cannot confirm the existence of such a plan or deal. This is speculation, she said.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 13:07:14 +0000