European Union rules require a member state where a foreign worker
has paid National Insurance Contributions (NICs) to reimburse the
person’s home country for certain benefits, mostly Jobseeker’s
Allowance, paid when they return.
Britain insists it will hand over the cash only where the person has paid NICs here for long enough to qualify for the benefits had they stayed in the UK and been unemployed.
But a group of Eastern European countries has signalled they will work together to step up pressure on the UK to bow to a non-legally binding recommendation from an EU committee that states should reimburse each other regardless of their own rules.
The Czech Republic said it was working with Hungary, Slovakia and Poland who all claim Britain owes them millions.
Czech Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Michaela Marksova yesterday said her country had received just £800,000 from Britain in payments for unemployed returning Czechs when it was owed an estimated £3 million.
In a radio interview she accused UK authorities of dragging their heels and dodging their EU responsibilities.
Read more: UK taxpayers face huge bill from EU jobless who go home | UK | News | Daily Express
Britain insists it will hand over the cash only where the person has paid NICs here for long enough to qualify for the benefits had they stayed in the UK and been unemployed.
But a group of Eastern European countries has signalled they will work together to step up pressure on the UK to bow to a non-legally binding recommendation from an EU committee that states should reimburse each other regardless of their own rules.
The Czech Republic said it was working with Hungary, Slovakia and Poland who all claim Britain owes them millions.
Czech Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Michaela Marksova yesterday said her country had received just £800,000 from Britain in payments for unemployed returning Czechs when it was owed an estimated £3 million.
In a radio interview she accused UK authorities of dragging their heels and dodging their EU responsibilities.
Read more: UK taxpayers face huge bill from EU jobless who go home | UK | News | Daily Express
