Forum Topic

Put me straight on statistics.

I thought I heard a statistic on Radio 5 Live this pm stating:"There are 40,000 children living in Warsaw drawing UK Child Benefits..."Can anyone confirm this alarming statistic - or have I got it wrong? Thanks.

Gerry Tan ● 4754d13 Comments

Re mothers appear to be foreign nationals           xxxxxxxxxxxxx whether they are foreign nationals is  not certain, but what is apparently is that  66% of babies now being born in the capital are to mothers  originally from  abroad.  Some people just do not realise what lays ahead for indigenous Brits in London. Already outnumbered 2-1 and it will get more pronounced as time goes on. For such views I get called racist, I prefer to think rationalist, why should I wish the demise of me, mine and all that goes with it.

Tony Price ● 4754d

I don't think politicians have much of a clue about anything at all.  One of my nephews' employees is claiming for his children in Poland who have never been to the UK.  At the same time he is living with a girlfriend in the UK who has given birth to twins.  They already had a child.  Whether his wife in Poland gets anything from him I do not know or whether she knows he has another family in the UK but I do know he also claims housing benefit.  I believe child benefit in Poland equates to about £3 per child whereas in the UK it’s £20.30 per child.  I don’t think there is housing benefit or very much in the way of any other benefits in Poland.  There is a guesstimate of 40,000 children in Poland alone for which the UK is paying child benefit, who knows how many other countries are involved or what the actual total numbers may be?  There is currently something of a population explosion, certainly in London.  Am I the only person to have noticed the battle of the buggies on buses where a large percentage of mothers appear to be foreign nationals sporting buggies and a bump?  There is a shortage of school places, housing etc., largely exacerbated by the number of foreign single parents now qualifying for social housing and housing benefits etc.  These immigrants are not the highly educated professionals and skilled workers the politicians keep telling us we need and benefit from, they are more likely to be young unskilled women.  Most European countries have far lower benefits than the UK so is it any wonder most of eastern Europe is beating a path to the UK? 

Bernadette Paul ● 4754d

I don't think governments take advantage of great ideas, maybe they should read this forum for a start!

Jean F Fernandez ● 4754d

Re  no higher than they would enjoy in their own country.      xxxxxxxxxxxxx an excellent idea but I assume would be against EU rules, and let's face it, the EU rules!

Tony Price ● 4754d

Although it is such a small pecentage that get child benefit abroad, and that makes us think its not so important, but the annual bill for the child benefit abroad adds up to approx 36 million pounds a year. Alot of money.

Marie Shelny ● 4754d

Good idea Nigel. Now all you've got to do is sell it to Cameron!

Marie Shelny ● 4754d

Tahs a sensible notion Nigel.

Gerry Tan ● 4754d

Thanks Jeremy - 40,000 seems a lot to me, but in the bigger picture its small potatoes. I hope other countries in the EU do the same as us.

Gerry Tan ● 4754d

I heard an eminently sensible suggestion on the radio this morning.The benefits offered to those choosing to emigrate to the UK should be set at a level no higher than they would enjoy in their own country.This, at a stroke, would negate the need to move and immediately claim benefit as there would be no financial advantage.

Nigel Brooks ● 4754d

It does indeed look quite alarming in isolation.... I think that is why it has been usedWhen put in to context of over 7.5 million CB payments made (from what I can see), 40,000 doesn't seem quite so many (around half a percent)Added to which, at least one parent has to be living and working in (and therefore paying taxes and contributing to the economy of) this country in order to claimI do think it needs looking at, particularly if we are the only country doing it (though as it is an EU law, that is unlikely), but I think the UK Govt have far bigger problems than that right now.

Jeremy Hanson ● 4754d

Re  To say the least.  Its madness.              xxxxxxxxxxxxxx They are EU citizens and qualify  because of. What the situation is now I am not sure but it used to be that if the breadwinner of a family anywhere in the world managed to get to the UK, he could claim benefits for all his wives and  children back home in his own country. How any worthwhile checks can be made is difficult to comprehend! Someone "in the know " said the British taxpayers as a result were keeping whole villages in Africa, (and presumably elsewhere in the world ). Wait till the Romas from Romania get on the bandwagon, plus a good few from Bulgaria. How the hell this country copes baffles me, we have so much welfare bens slung round our necks, trying in vain to compete with countries, especially those in the Far East who have no like systems at all. And the rest of Europe is likewise saddled, the outlook for us and the Eurozone is not good.

Tony Price ● 4754d

Thanks Marie, I was rushing around when I caught this piece of news on Radio 5 Live - I may have misheard this news item. Its a worrying statistic.

Gerry Tan ● 4754d

From what I understand its 40,000 abroad claim child benefit. I dont think they are all in warsaw. I could be wrong. I'm sure the tax payers who have had their child benefit cut will find this very annoying. To say the least.  Its madness.

Marie Shelny ● 4754d