Theresa May to revive David Cameron’s ditched plans to cut benefits for new EU migrants
Government sources are discussing whether to restrict new migrants from claiming tax credits and in-work benefits in post-Brexit policy
THERESA May is considering resurrecting plans to curb benefits for EU migrants after Brexit.
Government sources are looking again at the plans, originally proposed by David Cameron in the 2015 election.
Officials are considering Britain's immigration policy post-Brexit, and how to gain control of our borders after the referendum result.
Reports today have suggested that newly arrived immigrants from the EU could be stopped from claiming tax credits and other in-work benefits when they get here.
The idea was originally proposed by former PM Mr Cameron - a so-called "emergency brake" - but he was not able to secure the deal with the rest of the EU during his negotiations last year.
The deal became void after Britain voted to leave the EU.
Mrs May has said that she will trigger Article 50 by the end of March, which will kick off negotiations on our departure from the EU.
It is likely that migration will form a key part of the talks - ending freedom of movement was a key factor for the Leave campaign in the referendum.
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A Government source told that the plans could be seen to be making a difference on tackling migration.
The move could reduce the tax credit bill, and ministers hope it will deter some EU citizens from coming to the UK post-Brexit.
But a Downing Street source said no decisions had been made and emphasised that there was no “magic bullet” for migration.
Many sectors who rely upon EU migration to fill their workforce have repeatedly stressed the need for some migration after we leave the bloc.
Industries such as farming, manufacturing and some services are concerned that they will be left with severe shortages after Brexit, and have called on the Government to make special arrangements.
But ministers say they are keen to make a deal that works - both by controlling the numbers coming into the UK, but ensuring key sectors remain staffed.
This morning, top doctor Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, said that she had asked the Government to make nurses exempt from any post-Brexit targets - because the NHS is so short on numbers.
In last year's conference speech, Mrs May said that some people had been left behind by low-skilled immigration, and said that "change has got to come".
She said: "If you’re one of those people who lost their job, who stayed in work but on reduced hours, took a pay cut as household bills rocketed, or — and I know a lot of people don’t like to admit this — someone who finds themselves out of work or on lower wages because of low-skilled immigration, life simply doesn’t seem fair."