EU MIGRANTS and BENEFITS : FACTS and FIGURES Esther Lieu Feb 2012

WHY IS THERE SO LITTLE DATA ON NATIONALITY OF BENEFITS CLAIMANTS? The DWP said, in response to a Parliamentary Question, that whilst nationality is a factor for residence-based benefits, once residence is established, “nationality is not required for further processing and is therefore not routinely held on DWP computer systems”. All figures are therefore estimates produced by a collaboration between the DWP, HMRC and UKBA. The Universal Credit system (as of 2013) will record nationality alongside benefit claimed.

NINO ALLOCATIONS TO NON – UK NATIONALS In 2010 / 2011 the ‘top’ nationalities of non-UK NINO allocations were: 1. Turkey (81,180; 16% increase from 2009/ 2010); 2. India (74410; 1% decrease); 3. Pakistan (41240; 80% increase); 4. Republic of Lithuania (40840; 74% increase) 5. Republic of Latvia ( 27260; 18% increase) … 9. Romania (22000; 24% increase) Statistics mirror global events (e.g. an increase by 56% of NINO allocated to RoI nationals in light of recession)

NINO ALLOCATIONS TO EU NATIONALS 1 Total number of NINO registrations to adult overseas nationals entering the UK in 2010/11:705,000, of which: -376,000 were to EU Nationals (increase of 89,000 on the previous year); of which –225,000 were to EU Accession nationals, an increase of 42,000 (23%) on the previous year Between April 2004 – March 2010, 1, National Insurance Numbers (NINOs) were issued to A8 Nationals, accounting for 39.1% of all NINOs issued to overseas nationals in the same period

NINo Allocation to EU & Accession Nationals 2002/032003/042004/052005/062006/072007/082008/092009/102010/11 Figures as % of allocations to non – UK nationals Europe - EU excluding Accession Countries 23%.23%19%15% 18%16%19% Europe - EU Accession Countries 5%8%27%42%45% 37%32%

A8 NATIONALS – WRS & NINO More NINOs were issued to A8 migrants than WRS Registrations recorded over the same period of time, because:  WRS does not record all A8 migrants who were self-employed/ not employed;  Not all A8 migrants registered (e.g. a third of A8 nationals interviewed in Glasgow were not WRS registered) Therefore WRS data underestimates scale of Eastern & Central European migration to UK Where A8 Nationals Work 2 (as % of WRS registrations):  Administration, business & management (42%)  Hospitality & catering (18%)  Agriculture (10%)  Manufacturing (7%)  Food Processing (5%)

TIME LAPSE: NINO REGISTRATIONS & BENEFITS CLAIMS In 2010/ 2011 of the 225,000 NINO registrations by non – UK nationals, within 6 months of arrival: - 79% of EU nationals had registered for a NINO - 49% of African nationals had registered for a NINO In 2009/ 2010 of the 573,000 NINO registrations by non-UK adults, within 6 months of registration: - 4.6% claimed out-of-work benefits of which: –81% claimed JSA –9% claimed ESA –10% claimed IS

CLAIMS – BY BENEFIT (FEB 2011) In 2010 / 2011 over 5.5 million people claimed DWP working-age benefits, of which: (6.4%) were by non-UK nationals, of which: - 25% were by EU Nationals of which: - 8% by EU Accession Nationals JOB-SEEKER’S ALLOWANCE -1,438,700 Claimants of which: -121,700 (8.5 %) non – UK, of which: (20.5 %) EU Nationals (excl. Accession Countries) (10.5 %) EU – Accession Nationals

CLAIMS – BY BENEFIT (FEB 2011) Cont… EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT ALLOWANCE -2,578,700 Claimants of which: - 130,400 (5.1%) non-UK, of which: (17.9%) EU Nationals (excl. Accession Countries) (6.7%) EU-Accession Nationals INCOME SUPPORT ALLOWANCE Claimants of which: -10,900 (5.7%) non-UK, of which: (12.8%) EU Nationals (excl. Accession Nationals) -390 (3.5%) EU-Accession Nationals

BENEFITS – BY (non-UK) NATIONALITY Job- Seeker’s Allowance (Feb 2011) - 121,700 claims made, of which the top 3 non-UK nationalities were: Somalia (7660) Pakistan (6450) Poland (6390) Employment Support Allowance (Feb 2011) -130,400 claims made, of which the top 3 non-UK nationalities were: -Pakistan (11490) -R.of. I (8920) -India (8650) NB: Poland is the only previous Accession State to appear in the top 20 for any benefit claimed.

IMPACT OF MIGRATION The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) found that the number of migrant workers coming to UK over past decade had little or no impact on joblessness, for example finding no association between rising immigration and an increase in JSA claims. (Migration Watch alleged link between 600,000 rise in Eastern European migrants and 450,000 rise in youth unemployment in same period: NIESR study showed him to be wrong, and unemployment due to recession)

SOURCES 1. National Statistics: Statistical Bulletin 25 August Population Trends nr 145Autumn 2011: Trends in A8 migration to the UK during the recession David McCollum and Allan Findlay Centre for Population Change, Geography, School of the Environment, University of Dundee,