Clegg to cut EU child benefits

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has called for a major overhaul of the EU benefit rules in an effort to cut child benefit payments to European migrants whose children do not live in the UK.

According to The Telegraph Clegg wishes to cut child benefits and tax credits for EU parents working in the UK whose children do not live in Britain. There are currently 34,268 children in European nations (excluding the UK) who are supported by UK child benefits under the current system and Clegg aims to reduce these payments to the rate paid by the country in which the child is living, regardless of the fact that its parent is working in the UK.  For example, benefits paid to migrant workers whose children live in Poland would fall from the British rate of £80 per month to the Polish rate of £18 per month.

Cameron has also vowed to alter the rate of child benefit being paid to EU citizens living outside the UK, but changing the rules would require a treaty change. He has announced that he will wait until after the next election before he brings the topic of child benefits into his renegotiation of Britain’s relationship with the European Union.

Nick Clegg’s incentive comes on the back of an EU court ruling last week which signalled to Europe that member states have the freedom to refuse the payment of benefits to migrants who have never had a job in the host country and who do not intend to have a job in the host country.

Both politicians admit that, should they be successful, the move would only save a relatively small amount of money and would instead be a symbolic victory against all those who seek to come to Britain to live off the benefit system.