Source #2
How do I claim benefits when I get to Britain? Romanians demand help from job agencies in the UK
- Romanians and Bulgarians will be entitled to certain UK benefits from January
- Job agencies are said to be bombarded with people asking how to claim
- British companies are advertising on Romanian websites saying 'find out if you are entitled'
- More than 6,000 unemployed EU migrants currently live in Britain
Recruitment firms are being inundated with requests from Romanians about how they can claim benefits in Britain.
From January, residents of Romania and Bulgaria – two of Europe’s poorest countries – will be entitled to travel to the UK. They will be able to claim the same benefits and NHS care as other EU citizens. As a result, job agencies say they are being bombarded with requests from many who want to know how they can make claims.
One consultancy, based in Birmingham, said it had turned away dozens who wanted to know which of the UK’s generous state hand-outs they were eligible for. Adrian Pop, the firm’s managing director, said: ‘People are calling me asking “how do I claim benefits?”.’ Mr Pop, who is Romanian-born, warned many would be attracted to Britain by the benefits alone.
He said some agencies were offering to help Romanians claim benefits in return for a slice of the money. ‘Some Roma families will come to the UK with seven or eight children and claim £3,000 a month,’ he said. ‘But this is the system that Britain has created.’
He added many would claim to be self employed so they can get a National Insurance number, before simply claiming benefits.
‘There are forums where people talk about it. There are also adverts for companies which help them claim benefits,’ he said. ‘It is giving all Romanians a bad name in England.’
