Labour could curb benefits for immigrants until they have worked in the UK

People immigrating from the EU would be stopped from claiming benefits until they have paid into the system through National Insurance, under proposed new Labour plans.

In an interview with today’s Sun On Sunday (£), Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Rachel Reeves said that it was not fair that some could claim from the system wIthout having paid into it:

“It isn’t right that somebody who has worked hard all their lives and has contributed to the system is entitled to only the same as somebody who has just come to this country, so we need to look at that.”

“It shouldn’t be that you can draw on the system without having contributed.”

This comes only a day after Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls said that he was in favour of ending freedom of movement within the EU, and changing to a system migrants would have to come and work if they wanted to stay.

Reeves shared Balls’ view that it was wrong that child benefit could be claimed to support children living in other countries and said that the EU would have to be reformed in order to bring through these changes:

“There does need to be reform of the system. Whether that means having to work with partners in Europe to reform the system, or changing our system so it is better based on contributions, we need to make those changes.”

The Sun On Sunday say that these changes would outstrip the reforms announced by the Government last week, which would see recent immigrants only able to claim benefits for three months – and only after they have been here for three months.

In the interview, Reeves also slams the Work and Pensions minister Iain Duncan Smith for allowing “a culture of waste, write-offs and failure” in his department. The DWP has spent £134 million on Universal Credit, £140 million Personal Independent Payments (PIP) and has scrapped the “My Benefits Online” service at a cost of £27 million.

Reeves claims this waste has been ignored because of “ideology and dogma”:

“It is just inexcusable that the Government are throwing away money when they should be getting value for money for every pound of taxpayers’ money that they spend.”