An attempt to stop Turkish workers in Britain from receiving disability and maternity benefits has been stymied by the EU.
The UK government, supported by the Republic of Ireland, had attempted to prevent Turkish nationals from claiming social security benefits if they were working in Britain under the popular Ankara Agreement scheme.
But in a landmark ruling, judges at the European Court of Justice threw out the case, describing the British argument as a “formal defect” – that is to say, a technicality.
Kumar Subramani, a solicitor with KTS Legal, a firm that works with many Turkish applicants, said the UK government was working hard to tighten its social security system.
“They are trying all the ways they can,” he told Londra Gazete. “In this case their approach was to try and use a loophole in EU legislation. They wanted to challenge it but the court found in the European Council’s favour.
The ruling means Turkish nationals who are granted permission to work in the UK can continue to draw on the same benefits given to EU citizens – such as disability benefit, maternity pay and Jobseeker’s Allowance.
Nonetheless the UK government argued it had been “vindicated” because judges agreed with its argument that existing social security rules used for Turkish workers in the EU were incorrect.
A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions told Londra Gazete:
“The UK has been vindicated. The Court agreed that the wrong procedures were used by the EU.
“The British public quite rightly expect that those who come here should contribute.
“We will be examining the full implications of the ruling.”