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Child Benefit: EU Nationals

Volume 472: debated on Thursday 6 March 2008

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many nationals of each A8 country were receiving UK child benefit for a child or children living in another EEA member state at the end of December 2007; and at what cost to the public purse; (183706)

(2) in respect of how many Czech children living in the Czech Republic UK child benefit is paid; and how much was spent on those payments in the last year for which figures are available;

(3) in respect of how many Hungarian children living in Hungary UK child benefit is paid; and how much was spent on those payments in the last year for which figures are available;

(4) in respect of how many Estonian children living in Estonia UK child benefit is paid; and how much was spent on those payments in the last year for which figures are available;

(5) in respect of how many Latvian children living in Latvia UK child benefit is paid; and how much was spent on those payments in the last year for which figures are available;

(6) in respect of how many Lithuanian children living in Lithuania UK child benefit is paid; and how much was spent on those payments in the last year for which figures are available;

(7) in respect how many Slovakian children living in Slovakia UK child benefit is paid; and how much was spent on those payments in the last year for which figures are available;

(8) in respect of how many Slovenian children living in Slovenia UK child benefit is paid; and how much was spent on those payments in the last year for which figures are available.

Around 7.5 million families are currently claiming child benefit for around 13 million children.

At the end of December 2007, there were around 21,000 ongoing awards to A8 nationals recorded as receiving child benefit for around 34,000 children living in another EEA member state. This equates to around a quarter of a per cent. of all child benefit awards.

The breakdown by nationality is as follows but these disaggregated numbers are only estimates and should be used with caution.

Country

Number of awards at 31 December 2007

Number of children included in awards

Czech Republic

102

160

Estonia

9

15

Hungary

38

64

Latvia

192

255

Lithuania

482

714

Poland

19,054

31,399

Slovakia

951

1,667

Slovenia

2

2

The other information requested is not available in the format requested or is available only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in respect of how many children in (a) Romania, (b) Bulgaria, (c) Poland, (d) the Czech Republic and (e) Slovakia UK child benefit was being paid on 31 December 2007. (191197)

For information relating to claims from nationals of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia for children resident in another EEA country, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond) earlier today (183706). At the end of December 2007, there were 13 ongoing awards to Bulgarian and Romanian nationals for 14 children living in another EEA country broken down by nationality as follows:

Country

Number of awards at 31 December 2007

Number of children included in awards

Bulgaria

9

9

Romania

4

5