New migrant jobseekers from the European Economic Area (EEA) will no longer be able to get Housing Benefit (HB) from April, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith announced today.

The government is determined to cap welfare and reduce immigration as part of Britain's long-term economic plan and ministers want to make sure the system is fair for hard-working taxpayers.

From the start of April, new EEA jobseekers will no longer be able to access Housing Benefit if they are claiming income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA).

This builds on new rules introduced in January which mean EEA migrants cannot claim income-based Jobseeker's Allowance until they have been in the country for three months.

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Mr Smith said: "As part of the government's long-term economic plan we have taken action to make sure our economy delivers for people who want to work hard and play by the rules.

"These reforms will ensure we have a fair system – one which provides support for genuine workers and jobseekers, but does not allow people to come to our country and take advantage of our benefits system.

"The British public are rightly concerned that migrants should contribute to this country, and not be drawn here by the attractiveness of our benefits system."

The Housing Benefit changes do not affect UK and Irish Republic nationals, or EEA migrants genuinely self-employed or in a job. EEA nationals who have been working in the UK, and are subsequently made redundant and claim JSA, will not be affected by this measure.

As part of the government's long-term economic plan to get people off benefits and into work, a series of reforms have been put in place to make sure migrants wanting to come to this country do everything they can to find a job and stay in work.

(CD/IT)