DWP Central Freedom of Information Team

e-mail: [DWP request email]

Dear Ms Brown

Thank you for your email request of 13 June 2008, made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, asking several questions about the payment of Jobseeker's Allowance to EU citizens. I have addressed each question in turn.

We are not able to provide information on the amount of benefits paid to EU nationals. The country of origin or nationality at birth of benefit claimants is not recorded on the data extracts from our administrative systems which are available for analysis. The only exception to this is in the case of Accession Country (A8 and A2) Nationals where we collate Management Information for the Accession Monitoring Reports. Details of this report can be found at the following link: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/reports/accession_monitoring_report/report15/may04mar08.pdf?view=Binary

There are two different types of Jobseeker's Allowance, contribution-based and income-based. EU nationals who have come to the UK for the first time and have been in the country for less than 12 months cannot get contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance.

EU nationals who are neither in work or seeking work cannot normally access income-related benefits. Those who are working part time or are looking for work may be able to get income-based Jobseeker's Allowance as long as they have reasonably close ties to the UK and an intention to settle here.

The exception to this is Accession Country Nationals who will not have access to income-based Jobseeker's Allowance unless they are seeking work and have been working and registered with the `Worker Registration Scheme' or `Worker Authorisation Scheme' for at least 12 months.

There are currently no such plans.

The Department for Work and Pensions works jointly with the Home Office, HM Revenue and Customs and Communities and Local Government to produce the Accession Monitoring Report which is published every quarter. This report documents Management Information for A8/A2 nationals collected through the Worker Registration Scheme and manual monitoring of applications for National Insurance Numbers, claims for income-related benefits, applications for tax credits and applications for housing and homelessness assistance.

If you are not satisfied with my handling of your request please tell me why within two calendar months of the date of this letter. I will then arrange for someone to conduct an internal review of your request and my handling/decision. The review will be conducted by another officer, usually of a more senior grade to myself. This person will have taken no part in my original decision. You will be advised of their decision in writing.

If you are still not content with the outcome of the internal review you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner to look into the way your request has been handled. Please note that generally the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have first exhausted DWP's own complaints procedure. The Commissioner can be contacted at:

FoI Complaints Resolution

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF
Fax: 01625 545 510

email:[email address]

Yours sincerely

Central FoI Team

(by email)

Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia

Bulgaria and Romania

Income-related benefits include income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support, State Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.