Under EU law, foreign parents can flout British child benefit rules

SIR – The practice of paying British child benefit to foreign parents whose children reside in other EU member states places some British parents at a clear disadvantage.

The High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC), which affects those earning over £50,000, does not take into account any income that is subject to another country’s tax and national insurance. So a migrant worker in Britain who earns below the HICBC threshold can still qualify for full child benefit, even if the child is living in another EU country with the other parent or carer, who earns a large salary.

Although HM Revenue & Customs communicates with the social security authorities of other member states, this is only to confirm the authenticity of the claim and that the benefits are not being paid out by both countries.

This blatant discrimination against British citizens should be reason enough to stop sending such payments abroad with immediate effect.

Victoria Edge

Farningham, Kent SIR – What is the point of opt-outs (report, December 14) when successive British governments have opted back in? Labour opted back in to the EU social chapter and this Conservative Government opted back in to various criminal law provisions, without even holding a proper debate in Parliament.

Unless opt-outs can be evergreen – so that countries that later opt in could exit the provisions again in the future – the opt-out has no value.

Andrew Smith

Epping, Essex SIR – In the Sixties, when Charles de Gaulle believed that the European Commission was seeking to create a supranational Europe that threatened French sovereignty, he adopted an “empty-chair” policy: the French delegation simply walked out of the European Council.

The result was the Luxembourg Compromise, which bestowed veto power on every member state on any topic that was deemed to be a “vital national interest”.

In the aftermath of the Paris terrorist attack in November, François Hollande, the French president, flatly stated that “the security pact trumps the stability pact”, thus binning stringent EU budget rules.

The contrast between the manners of France and Britain when pursuing their national interests is illustrative of Britain’s fundamental lack of self-confidence.

It is time for Europe to be told what Britain’s terms are, and for a line to be drawn in the sand.

Patrick Robertson Founder, The Bruges Group Zuoz, Graubünden, Switzerland SIR – David Cameron has one opportunity to renegotiate the terms of Britain’s membership of the EU. Other member countries will not take seriously any second attempt.

If he fails, Britain will find itself bound to participate in “ever closer union”, with no way out.

Huw Wynne-Griffith

London W8