Housing Benefit and Homelessness Assistance for A8 Nationals
This page applies to you if you are an A8 national.
A8 nationals are people from:
- The Czech Republic
- Estonia
- Hungary
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Poland
- Slovakia
- Slovenia.
From May 1st 2004, most nationals from A8 states who wish to work for more than one month for an employer in the UK need to register under the Worker Registration Scheme. This scheme will be in operation until May 2009, when you will be eligible for all forms of benefit and assistance, like other European Economic Area residents.
Your entitlement to benefits is a complex area, and individual circumstances will vary. However, in general, if you have a registration certificate and have been registered and working for three months or more, and are currently working for the employer named in that certificate, you should be treated as any other EU or EEA worker. You would then enjoy the same rights as these workers and can:
You are entitled to apply for housing association tenancies when you arrive in Glasgow, and can find out more information about registering on housing waiting lists here.
However, if you have a period of unemployment between jobs, during the 12 month qualifying period, you are unlikely to get Housing Benefit, Local Housing Allowance or homelessness assistance during that period.
Once you have been working legally in the UK for a period of 12 months with 30 days or less unemployment, you will have full rights of free movement and will no longer need to register on the Worker Registration scheme. You can then get a residence permit confirming their right to live and work in the UK.
While changing employers is permitted, you must get a new registration document within one month of starting the new job for it to count towards the 12 month qualifying period.
You can establish the right to reside under other regulations or directives, (whether working or not), or be self employed, or have been in the UK long enough to get an European Economic Area (EEA) residence permit. You are then able to pass the Habitual Residence Test (HRT), which means that you can claim benefits and homelessness assistance.
Once you are eligible, you can claim Housing Benefit/ Local Housing Allowance in the same way as any other city resident would. To make a claim visit Glasgow City Council's Housing Benefit main page.
It should be noted that these restrictions only apply until May 2009, when A8 nationals will be eligible for all forms of benefit and assistance, like other European Economic Area residents.
Further Information
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