Supplementary evidence submitted by Mr
Liam Byrne MP, Minister of State, Home Office on follow up questions
on A2
I would like to begin by correcting the impression
that there were 38,000 approved applications under the
A2 schemes in the first three quarters of 2007. In fact, this
was the total number of applications (38,365, which includes 7,370
SAWS cards issued). Since January 2007 there have been 32,238
approved applications under the A2 schemes (which again includes
the 7,370 SAWS cards issued).
— The number of Bulgarians and Romanians
working in the UK under the A2 regulations who will become eligible
to receive working family tax credits and/or child benefits once
they have been working in the UK for a 12 month period.
Eligibility for child benefit, child tax credit
and working tax credit is not based on the period of time the
migrant has been working in the UK.
For child benefit and child tax credit purposes,
A2 nationals must be present, ordinarily resident and have a right
to reside in the UK. An A2 national who is authorised to work
in the UK under A2 schemes or who is exempt from registration
(such as the self-employed) has a right to reside and may therefore
receive child benefit and child tax credit, provided they meet
all the other relevant conditions of entitlement.
For the working tax credit, A2 nationals may
receive such support provided they are present and ordinarily
resident in the UK and, again, meet all the other relevant conditions
of entitlement.
For both tax credits and for child benefit, the
term "ordinarily resident" means that the claimant must
normally reside in the UK.
— The proportion of the 380 Bulgarian
and Romanian children in receipt of child benefits who are currently
residing in the UK.
There were 380 approved Child Benefit claims
from Bulgarian and Romanian nationals in the UK from July to September
2007, the equivalent number for the period 1 January to 31 October
2007 is 1,322. These figures include all claims from A2 nationals
and is not restricted to those who are authorised to work in the
UK under the A2 schemes.
In the vast majority of cases where a decision
has been made, the children are based in the UK. As at 31 October
2007, in well over 99% of the cases where A2 migrants were receiving
child benefits in the UK the children were also resident in the
UK, there were only seven cases where this was not the case.
All claims for child benefit and tax credits
are subject to a wide range of checks throughout the life of each
claim. Where claims are made on behalf of children living in another
EEA Member State, HM Revenue and Customs do further checks to
verify the information provided by the claimant, including verifying
the composition of the family and to find out whether there are
any other family benefits in payment in the other Member State.
HMRC and other Member States have well established processes in
place to ensure payments only go to those who are entitled. For
child benefit, these cases are also subject to a regular annual
review to see whether there have been any changes of circumstances
that may affect entitlement. Where a claimant fails these checks,
the award is terminated. For tax credits, all awards are subject
to an annual review.
— The number of school pupils who
have migrated to the UK from A2 and A8 countries.
A8 and A2 migrant children cannot be identified
in school census data as the census does not hold data such on
nationality or country of birth. Schools will receive extra resources
to help them with A2 and A8 migrants via the weighting in mainstream
funding to children with English as an additional language (EAL).
Local authorities also receive funding through
Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant to provide support for minority
ethnic pupils and pupils with EAL. The grant is £179 million
in 2007-08 and is set to rise to £206 million by 2010. It
must also be remembered that the amount of money spent on education
has risen by more than 60% in real terms since 1996-97.
Nevertheless, we are aware that it is vital that
we take the social impact of immigration into account when we
make migration decisions. That's why we set up the Migration Impacts
Forum, so public services can help shape our points system which
is introduced in early 2008.
10 December 2007
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