Eastern European benefit claimants double in 5 years

Politicians must take responsibility for open-door migration, Leave campaigners insist

THE number of eastern Europeans claiming benefits in Britain has more than doubled in the past five years, according to figures published yesterday.

Department for Work and Pensions data showed there were 24,400 “working age benefit claimants” from eastern Europe in 2010, but the number rose to 65,400 in 2014 before falling to 55,400 last year.

The revelation came as the Government published new figures showing immigration since 2011 was more than double official estimates when “shortterm” migrants were taken into account.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) published a mass of data in an attempt to restore public trust in official migration statistics.

But the gesture appeared to backfire as experts claimed the ONS’s report showed European Union immigrants were being “undercounted”.

The ONS said 2.4 million EU migrants came to Britain between 2011 and 2015 including those staying “short-term”, or less than a year.

It means the real number of arrivals was 1.5 million higher than previous estimates, which counted only the 900,000 long-term migrants.

The figures were seized upon by politicians campaigning for a Brexit in the June 23 referendum.

Boris Johnson, the former London mayor, said there was “no question” government estimates had been “misleading” and demanded that politicians “man up” and “take respon- sibility” for open-door migration policies.

Mr Johnson, who earlier this week accused David Cameron of “terrible dishonesty” about the true scale of EU migration, said the numbers showed the “sheer pressure” faced by Britain’s public services.

Jonathan Portes, a senior fellow of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, said: “The evidence suggests migration statistics have in fact undercounted EU migration to the UK.”

Meanwhile HM Revenue and Customs revealed that in 2013-14 “recently arrived” European Economic Area nationals paid £3.11 billion in income tax and national insurance, but claimed only £560 million in tax credits and child benefit. In a boost to the Remain camp, it means they made a “net fiscal contribution” of £2.54 billion. However, the figure does not take account of benefits paid by other government departments or the cost to public services such as the NHS and schools.

The most common type of welfare payment to eastern Europeans in February last year was jobseeker’s allowance – claimed by 21,500 people from the new accession states.

Another 18,000 were claiming employment and support allowance and incapacity benefits.

The figures covered people who arrived from the 10 former Communist states – including Poland – which joined the EU in two waves from 2004, but who may have since become British citizens.

Alp Mehmet, vice-chairman of MigrationWatch UK, said the new ONS report left many questions unanswered.

“We stand by our estimate that EU migration may have been undercounted by as much as 50,000 a year,” he said.

‘The evidence suggests migration statistics have in fact undercounted EU migration to the UK’