The Farce Awakens...

[vetran]

I'm not getting the first point. It's not like someone is working a perm job in the UK and doing a daily commute back to Poland, so I can't see how they could claim child benefit in the first place.

I'm also cautious about binning child tax credits without replacing it with something else that's a direct means-tested payment. In the states there are no "tax credits" that get paid up-front: you claim money back on your tax return; main problem being you have to front the cash the whole year. Tax credits make a huge difference for too many people to just chuck out the window.

The tax credits ask 'how may children do you have' not 'how may children do you have living permanently in the UK'. The Polish Guy honestly says 2 and gets tax credits meant to support children in the UK whilst his kids are back home in Poland. We just need to change the tax credit form, those brits with kids living in Spain or France etc will have to claim for them in the country the kids are in.

[Platypus]

I sense a barrage of positive spin on the way for what seems to me to be a very poor deal for the UK.

I say call their bluff and leave. I'm sure they need us more than we need them.

The Times made a good point yesterday, that the EU will have us over a barrel if we stay in. We're as likely to be "punished" for staying in as we are for leaving.

I highly recommend this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00VKI4G1...ng=UTF8&btkr=1

[vetran]

Child tax credit is meant to give a break to anyone who's a parent; recognising that they have another life to support. Just because the child happens to be in another country doesn't make them any less a parent.

Its supposed to help with the costs of raising a child on low wages in the UK. If the child is in Poland then the costs of raising them is a third to a seventh of UK so there is no need to help them.

[seanraaron]

The tax credits ask 'how may children do you have' not 'how may children do you have living permanently in the UK'. The Polish Guy honestly says 2 and gets tax credits meant to support children in the UK whilst his kids are back home in Poland. We just need to change the tax credit form, those brits with kids living in Spain or France etc will have to claim for them in the country the kids are in.

That seems like a massive omission given I assume child tax credits post-date EU membership. Again, I'm wondering why this is an EU negotiation point rather than just changing the application form as you've indicated.

[NotAllThere]

If the kids are in Poland, then they're not being educated in the UK. They're not receiving healthcare in the UK. Who knows - the amount saved might be more than the the child tax credits.

[VectraMan]

If the kids are in Poland, then they're not being educated in the UK. They're not receiving healthcare in the UK. Who knows - the amount saved might be more than the the child tax credits.

Exactly. I'm amazed the Kippers want to encourage economic migrants to bring their whole families to the UK. It just means more people, more housing, more burden on the NHS and schools - all the things they say to justify keeping migrants out.

[Platypus]

If the kids are in Poland, then they're not being educated in the UK. They're not receiving healthcare in the UK. Who knows - the amount saved might be more than the the child tax credits.

Good point!

[vetran]

If the kids are in Poland, then they're not being educated in the UK. They're not receiving healthcare in the UK. Who knows - the amount saved might be more than the the child tax credits.

Depends if the migrant contributes more than they cost.

Are you a contributor to, or a burden on, the nation's finances? - 'Squeezed middle' increasingly dependent on the state | This is Money

You have to get to the top 40 per cent before you can claim to be a net contributor. Households in the fourth quintile pay £4,113 more in tax than they take out, while the top 20 per cent of earners pay a whopping £20,125 more in than they get back.

[diseasex]

Don't forget you do have generous system in place. In poland for example, you need to work at least 6 months to be able to claim anything. How would that sound if we were requiring 4 years from foreigners and 6 months from poles?

Things different, I know. But maybe changing the welfare system is the key and put some of that child breeding lazy families to work ?

[vetran]

Things different, I know. But maybe changing the welfare system is the key and put some of that child breeding lazy families to work ?

agree with that, however we need to avoid having those at the bottom starve.