Polish workers & benefits

miserly_mum

My OH is a manager and one of the Polish girls who is on his team is heavily pregnant at the moment and is due to go on maternity leave quite soon.

She has got her Maternity pay etc sorted with the company and hopes to return to her position after her baby is born.

Her English isn't great and from talking to her OH doesn't think she knows about Child Benefit Tax Credits etc.

I'm assuming as a foreign worker if she has worked long enough to get maternity pay then she should be entitled to these benefits aswell?

She lives in private rented accomodation with her partner and another couple. They are all Polish. The other 3 were all working full time until very recently when their contracts with their employer finished.

She is the only one currently working in the house and OH doesn't (from what he could understand) think they are claiming housing benefit. Would they entitled to this and would the other 3 be entitled to Job seekers allowance as foreign workers?

She is worried about paying the rent especially once she stops work and OH would like to be able to advise her on what she/they might be entitled to. Not in any official capacity which is why he's asked me to Post on here

I'm pretty savvy about the benefits system but i'm not sure if they qualify for certain benefits because they aren't UK citizens.

stazi

Have a look here-
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/BeginnersGuideToBenefits/DG_170638

kei_2

Poland is part of the EEA, assuming they've come into the country legally which i assume they have considering their PAYE they should have access to all the benefits.

miserly_mum

kei wrote: »

Poland is part of the EEA, assuming they've come into the country legally which i assume they have considering their PAYE they should have access to all the benefits.

Well I asked the question under the assumption they all were working legally and doing PAYE etc.

Obviously the girl who is pregnant qualified for Maternity pay etc so i'm assuming she should get Child Benefit and Tax credits once the baby is born and Working Tax credits if she returns to work.

I think her main worry at the moment is making sure the rent is paid and I wasn't sure if they would qualify for housing benefiit.

stazi

Sorry kei, it's not as simple as that.
There are special rules for people from A8 & A2 countries, in most cases, benefit(s) cannot be claimed unless the person has been working in the UK for at least 12 months. See here for more info-
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/BeginnersGuideToBenefits/DG_170638

kei_2

Yup my bad!

Did not know that different departments have a different criteria when meeting the 'right to reside' i assumed it was universal alas not. Saying that in the past it has stated whether people are entitled to public funds on their passports/visas not sure about now though.

[Deleted User]

kei wrote: »

Poland is part of the EEA, assuming they've come into the country legally which i assume they have considering their PAYE they should have access to all the benefits.

Poland is actually part of the E.U. now