Overview
- Poland’s Powroty website published guidance on Friday advising eligible Polish nationals in the UK to consider and, where appropriate, apply for Jobseeker’s Allowance before returning home.
- The guidance relies on Withdrawal Agreement rules that let EU nationals who secured settled status before December 2020 take certain UK benefits to an EU country for up to three months.
- UK ministers criticised the advice as inappropriate and said the Withdrawal Agreement is not a tool to maximise claims on British taxpayers, while Labour and Reform figures called for rule changes.
- Officials sought to downplay the scale, saying about 10 people currently receive Jobseeker’s Allowance while living outside the UK, and eligibility requires sufficient National Insurance contributions and settled status.
- Poland defended the information as lawful help for returnees and pointed to broader drivers of repatriation, including stronger jobs and a return tax relief scheme that thousands have used.