Government to Tighten Housing Benefit Rules for New Migrants

David Cameron has announced migrants will not be entitled to housing benefit immediately upon arriving in the UK.  The prime minister made the pledge as part of a series measures to crackdown on ‘benefit tourism’. Transitional controls limiting Bulgarian and Romanian workers accessing the UK’s labour market expire at the end of the year.  Migrants wanting to claim benefits have to take an ‘habitual residency test’, which requires them to prove a legal right to reside in the UK and that they intend to settle in the country. Some EU citizens currently do not have to take the test. Read more on Inside Housing.

Council Fears Impact of Immigration on Housing

The leader of Westminster City Council has told MPs an anticipated ‘influx’ of Romanian and Bulgarian migrants will have an ‘enormous’ impact on its social housing and other services.  Philippa Roe, Conservative leader of the authority, warned that if the council does not plan for the arrival of more migrants next year it will be in ‘serious difficulties’.  Giving evidence at a meeting of the Public Administration Select Committee on migration, Ms Roe said the local authority had not made estimates of the number of Romanian and Bulgarian migrants who might arrive in Westminster when work restrictions end next year.  However she said the council had already seen ‘quite an impact’ in relation to migration from Romania, suggesting there had been low-level crime and begging issues around Marble Arch. Read more on Inside Housing.

Pickles: EU 'Influx' May Add To Housing Problems

The communities secretary has conceded an influx of Romanians and Bulgarians is going to increase pressure on social housing when rules change at the start of next year.  Speaking on the BBC’s Daily Politics show, Eric Pickles told host Andrew Neil the change is going to ‘cause problems’ for the housing sector.  But he refused to give an estimate of the numbers of people who might move to Britain after getting the right to live and work in the UK in December.  From January 2014 restrictions will be lifted on Romanians and Bulgarians entering and working in the UK. Read more on the BBC website.