Plan B Forum

Hundreds of unemployed people are receiving the dole every year even though they have moved abroad.



Official figures seen by the Daily Mail show that in 2010/11 £1million was paid in jobseekers’ allowance to people who have gone to another European country.

The jobless have taken advantage of rules which state that they can continue claiming the dole for up to three months as long as they claim they are ‘looking for work’ and register at the equivalent of a job centre once they arrive.

But critics say there are inadequate safeguards in place to ensure that claimants are not simply taking a holiday while continuing to receive the payment of up to £67 a week.

The handouts were part of almost £2million going abroad every week to benefit claimants who have left the UK.

Tens of thousands of people living overseas are claiming handouts such as incapacity benefit and disability living allowance, racking up a total annual bill of £92million.

The amount going abroad on attendance allowance – paid to people with disabilities – has tripled in the last five years alone to £3million.

And the bill for winter fuel payments, which people can get even though they have moved to sunnier climes and rarely need to turn on the heating, has doubled to £16million.

The Department of Work and Pensions was unable to say how many claimants there were for each of the benefits. But it is believed that around 2,000 could have claimed jobseekers’ allowance (JSA) last year after going to Europe.

Although there is a three-month time limit on claiming jobseekers’ allowance, some of the other benefits are indefinite.

The British government has to pay up because it is bound to European law which states that benefits acquired in one member state must be paid to those who move to another.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1rOSUyUFH

And the bill for winter fuel payments, which people can get even though they have moved to sunnier climes and rarely need to turn on the heating, has doubled to £16million.

Gob wrote:"...

But critics say there are inadequate safeguards in place to ensure that claimants are not simply taking a holiday while continuing to receive the payment of up to £67 a week.

The handouts were part of almost £2million going abroad every week to benefit claimants who have left the UK.

Tens of thousands of people living overseas are claiming handouts such as incapacity benefit and disability living allowance, racking up a total annual bill of £92million.

The amount going abroad on attendance allowance – paid to people with disabilities – has tripled in the last five years alone to £3million.

And the bill for winter fuel payments, which people can get even though they have moved to sunnier climes and rarely need to turn on the heating, has doubled to £16million.

The Department of Work and Pensions was unable to say how many claimants there were for each of the benefits. But it is believed that around 2,000 could have claimed jobseekers’ allowance (JSA) last year after going to Europe.

Although there is a three-month time limit on claiming jobseekers’ allowance, some of the other benefits are indefinite.

The British government has to pay up because it is bound to European law which states that benefits acquired in one member state must be paid to those who move to another.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1rOSUyUFH