Workers from EU claim UK pensions

THOUSANDS of workers from the EU are flocking to Britain as “National Insurance tourists” to get access to our generous benefits and pensions, the Daily Express can reveal.

Workers from the EU not pictured are flocking to Britain to get access to generous pensions Workers from the EU, not pictured, are flocking to Britain to get access to generous pensions

Polish-owned companies with UK offices are encouraging self-employed people who live and work in Poland to switch their NI payments to Britain.

All that is required is a one-day visit to London for an appointment at a JobCentre Plus to get a NI number and open a UK bank account. They are lured by the promise of a British basic pension of £412.75, compared with just £130 a month in Poland.

An investigation by the Daily Express discovered how UK-based representatives of unscrupulous Polish firms regularly collect self-employed workers at British airports. These agents have already set up appointments at the JobCentre and bank.

The Polish workers can legitimately claim to be employed by the UK-based company, performing five hours “consultancy” work per month, which can be done by telephone or computer from anywhere in the world. The UK-registered firm, which is paid up to £100 a month by each “tourist”, issues them with payslips and pays their British NI, often as little as £10 per month.

The fee is considerably less than the £190 a month a taxi driver or hairdresser can expect to pay in contributions in Poland, and could allow them access to higher pensions and other benefits.

Businessman Ireneusz Klader, whose firm in the Polish city of Rzeszow urges self-employed Poles to “live off the Queen”, insisted his business was completely legal.

He said: “This system is available for every member of the EU. I am actually doing a favour to the British taxpayer as my company, on behalf of my clients, is paying many tens of thousands of pounds every month in contributions.”

But when asked about the cost to Britain when his clients reach retirement age, he said: “This is in the future and we are now talking about the present.” The Polish parliament is so concerned by the drop in contributions that Labour Minister Jolanta Fedak has asked for Britain’s help.

She issued a warning to Poles intending to travel to Britain not to be tempted by the claim that they will qualify for a hefty pension.

She said: “Paying the minimum contribution abroad will not generate enough for a pension. And they won’t have a domestic one as they will have accumulated nothing in Poland.” It is estimated as many as 5,000 self-employed Poles have taken advantage of such schemes in the past 12 months, despite still living and working in their home country.

Matthew Elliott, chief executive at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “This is the latest example of benefit shopping where the UK is chosen as we have such a lax and flawed system. This should be of huge concern to both the Polish and UK governments.”

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