It has recently been revealed that the previous Labour government allowed some 155,000 illegal immigrants to be able to qualify not only for sickness benefits but also maternity pay. It has been estimated that the cost to the Exchequer runs into "tens of millions of pounds".
There can be no doubt that this total shambles is a highly critical indictment of how Labour totally lost control of not only the immigration systems but also the benefit systems also. To help resolve matters it is anticipated that Ian Duncan Smith the Work & Pensions Secretary will halt this practice by bringing in new welfare reform legislation early next week.
Esa
It is believed that those who are exploiting the system for financial gain came to Britain for a short period and then stayed on after their visa had expired. Many illegal immigrants probably got work with out having the required work permit.
At the moment if someone was in Britain illegally they would be able to claim ESA which is Employment and Support Allowance which is paid to those to ill to work and be in a position to claim sick pay and maternity and paternity pay.
Quite unbelievably the Department of Work & Pensions had not previously requested to examine work permits when approving claims for ESA.
Surprisingly under Labour, hundreds of thousands of National Insurance numbers were handed out to illegal workers as there was no requirement to check if the person was in the country legally. Quite reasonably many employers incorrectly thought that having a NI number meant that they were legally in the country. Employers also have not had to show any proof that employees are in the UK legally when making claims for maternity or paternity pay and sick pay.
This beggars the belief that people who are not even eligible to work in Gt Britain are able to get benefits which are a substitute for earnings. This is a classic example of how the UK state welfare system has been allowed by the previous Labour government to get totally out of kilter.
Work permits will now be needed showing that workers are here legally for ESA claims or an employer will require to have one if processing claims on behalf of employees. Rather than removing illegal workers the last Labour government was prepared to pay out welfare benefits to some tens of thousands of people who had plainly overstayed their visa entitlement.
I am a great believer in a social system but obviously it should be one that is properly run and managed so that benefits are paid out to those who are properly entitled and have contributed into the social system.
It simply can't be right just to allow any body to claim in the naive hope perhaps that an over generous welfare system will buy votes.
Tens Of Thousands Of Illegal Workers Claiming Benefits In The UK Esa
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