David Cameron has set stricter rules on foreigners seeking unemployment benefit in the UK, taking effect from 2014. This new ruling is expected to affect many Spanish residents of the UK that are on benefits in the country.
Around 30,000 Spanish go the the UK each year in search of work and the new ruling will mean that benefits will no longer be paid indefinitely. It means that a non-British EU member residing in the UK will only be able to maintain benefits for a maximum of 6 months unless they can demonstrate without any doubt that they are actively seeking employment, with a good chance of gaining it.
It is expected that the EU citizens who will mostly be affected are the Spanish residing in the UK. Latest figures suggest that some 30,370 Spanish nationals arrived in the UK seeking employment during the last 12-months, far more than from other countries like Germany, France and Italy.
With the employment situation in Spain so bad it is expected that even more Spanish will head to the UK in search of work and the UK government are trying to reduce immigrants and curb payments.
