E303

Oldernotwiser

This is a rather specialist query for one of the JCP bods. A British National has been residing in France for some years and has recently been claiming the French version of JSA. They return to live in the UK, have an E303 and expect to receive benefits at the French rate (rather higher than in the UK) for a crossover period of 3 months.This is what they've been told in France that should happen. Their Jobcentre has processed the claim but says they're only eligible for the normal UK rate.

Has anybody come across this before and have any advice? Thanks.

NASA_2

You can import a benefit but there is a specialist centre in Newcastle that will deal with it.

http://www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/contactus/contact-pod-form.asp

That link might be of some use - not sure - its not all that common an enquiry.

zappster1966

I worked with E303's years ago.

We faxed it off to Newcastle (Pensions & Overseas Directorate) who converted the overseas benefit rate from their currency to Pounds ... then they faxed it back to us, basically telling us to pay the customer at the converted rate for up to 13 weeks. Once we'd paid all the benefit due we faxed the total back to Newcastle & they claimed it back off the overseas government.

Some of the foreign benefit rates were interesting, especially the Scandinavian ones ... wasn't unusual to see someone being paid nearly £200 per week in their equivalent of JSA.

Never had a case as described, though. Wonder if British benefit takes precedence ? But then wouldn't the subject have to satisfy an Habitual Residency Test first ?

Oldernotwiser

ESA wrote: »

You can import a benefit but there is a specialist centre in Newcastle that will deal with it.

http://www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/contactus/contact-pod-form.asp

That link might be of some use - not sure - its not all that common an enquiry.

Thanks for that, I'll pass the number on.

If anyone has any other thoughts on this, do let me know.

Oldernotwiser

zappster1966 wrote: »

I worked with E303's years ago.

We faxed it off to Newcastle (Pensions & Overseas Directorate) who converted the overseas benefit rate from their currency to Pounds ... then they faxed it back to us, basically telling us to pay the customer at the converted rate for up to 13 weeks. Once we'd paid all the benefit due we faxed the total back to Newcastle & they claimed it back off the overseas government.

Some of the foreign benefit rates were interesting, especially the Scandinavian ones ... wasn't unusual to see someone being paid nearly £200 per week in their equivalent of JSA.

Never had a case as described, though. Wonder if British benefit takes precedence ? But then wouldn't the subject have to satisfy an Habitual Residency Test first ?

Thanks, you sound as if you know what you're talking about! I think that the person in question has spent most of his life in France but still has British residency through his parents. I'll pass your comments on.

zappster1966

If the person can't pass an HRT I don't see how the Job Centre can say he'll get UK benefits at all. And I always assumed an E303 was the be all and end all ... you simply paid what Newcastle told you to pay, with no qualification whatever.

Maybe they need to speak to someone at the Benefits Delivery Centre who has recent experience dealing with E303's, I haven't dealt with any for maybe 10 years now.

NASA_2

Looking for work in the UK

If you paid unemployment insurance while you were employed in another EEA country, this may enable you to get UK contribution-based JSA following your return to this country. But you must have: either

• worked as an employed person and paid Class 1 contributions since the last time you arrived in the UK; or
• remained habitually resident in the UK during the time you were working in another EEA country.

If either of these apply to you, you may need a record of your unemployment insurance from the authorities who run the unemployment insurance scheme in the other country. If you can, ask them for form E301 before you return to the UK and keep it in case you need it. If you do claim contribution-based JSA, give form E301 to the Jobcentre Plus office dealing with your claim. But note that form E301 does not give you any automatic right to UK contribution-based JSA.
For further information, contact The Pension Service If you are coming to the UK, or coming back here to look for work, you may be able to carry on getting the other EEA country's unemployment benefit in the UK for up to three months. To get it, you must:

• normally have been getting that country's unemployment benefit just before you came to the UK; and
• have been registered as available for work for at least four weeks, or for any shorter time that the other EEA country allows; and
• register for work in the UK; and
• claim benefit.

You can only be paid the other country's unemployment benefit for the time that you are registered, unless you fall sick. As long as you register before the end of seven days after you were last registered with the employment services of the other country, you may normally carry on getting your unemployment benefit without a break in your entitlement. But there may be a delay before you are paid in the UK.
To get another EEA country's unemployment benefit in the UK, you will need form E303. Ask for it in the country you are about to leave. Make sure that you do everything that you need to do to follow the rules before you leave. If you do not, you may lose benefit.
Give form E303 to the office at which you claim benefit in the UK. But note that some countries will not give you form E303. Instead they will send it direct to The Pension Service

Oldernotwiser

Thanks to you both, I'll pass it all on.

Oldernotwiser

Just wanted to give an update and to thank you both again. The person I was enquiring for posted me this morning with the following reply,

"I rang my son's job centre this morning and got nowhere. they just referred me to the benefit delivery centre, an 08 no. so I rang the number you gave me, the international enquiery line. They verified he IS entitiled to the French rate he was on for a period of 3 months and they're sorting it out and ringing me back later. It's thanks to you as I would'nt have known about this enquiery service. Will let you know the outcome... "

Not thanks to me at all but thanks to the two of you on here.

NASA_2

That is good to hear. There are probably a lot of people out there who just take it at face value and miss out on quite a bit of money they would otherwise be entitled to.

dizzi_red

can anyone tell me where i can go about a query on E303 forms.. A friend of mine came over from Sweden on one and he was informed that he had to get a NI number and was then seen to as a British Citizen which he is not