As from the 9th of March, new EU migrants that have arrived in the UK will be prevented from claiming benefits until they have started work. The new regulations mean that under Universal Credit no EU households will be able to access means-tested benefits in the UK without having worked here first.
Action has already been taken to halve the amount of time EU jobseekers can claim Jobseeker's Allowance, Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit and means that if they don’t have a job after three months they will lose their right to reside in the UK. New migrant jobseekers are also now unable to claim Housing Benefit.
Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith said: “Universal Credit is a new benefit that will make work pay and help lift people out of poverty and it is already transforming lives. As part of the government’s long-term economic plan we have led the way with a series of measures to tackle abuses, tighten immigration routes, and toughen up the rules on access to UK benefits - and we have seen other European countries follow our lead and take similar action.”
