There is no public evidence in support of what Cameron says about the cost of benefits for migrants
Outlining plans to restrict benefits for EU migrants, David Cameron claimed today that ’43 per cent of EU migrants rely on the support of the UK benefits system during their first four years in the country. This represents 224,000 EU nationals out of 526,000 new arrivals.’
He went on:
“Downing Street said that EU migrants entitled to so-called ‘in-work’ benefits claimed an average of £5,000 per family, costing UK taxpayers £530 million in 2013″.
This is a pretty big claim, and one that could bolster support Cameron’s plans to place a four-year ban on EU migrants claiming benefits. But is it true? At the moment, we don’t know. That’s because there are no official statistics to support Cameron’s statement. Fact checking organisation Full Fact pointed out today that:
“There is nothing backing these [claims] up on the Department for Work and Pensions’ad hoc statistics page—where non-regular analysis is placed when it is used in public, for example in speeches or the press.”
Following an intervention by Full Fact in 2010, the UK Statistics Authority made clear that the Department should put in place procedures to ensure that statistics would not be used in public without being independently published. As Full Fact’s Phoebe Arbold wrote, ‘Those procedures failed today.’
For this reason, Full Fact have reported David Cameron to the Statistics Authority for his claims. As it stands, Cameron has presented an argument for one of his EU negotiation point without any evidence.
Ruby Stockham is a staff writer at Left foot Forward
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4 Responses to “David Cameron reported to Statistics Authority over migrant benefits claim”
adam smith
Benefits should be for British people only it is not our job to pay for immigrants that is the job of their country
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Sid
The right to claim benefits needs to be earned by immigrants. I would suggest five years continuous NI contributions should be the criteria.
David McKendrick
The EU says that the rules should be applied equally to EU and British Citizens so I would suggest “The right to claim benefits needs to be earned by everyone. I would suggest five years continuous NI contributions should be the criteria for all UK residents”… lol
This is totally unworkable with so many young people unable to find work or unwilling to take the jobs on offer.
5 times the Tories have misused statistics | Left Foot Forward
[…] In November 2015 David Cameron was reported to the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) after he claimed that ’43 per cent of EU migrants rely on […]