Claims from migrants set to add €90m to child benefit bill
The State is reportedly facing a €90m bill to meet the costs of child benefit payments to migrant workers from other EU countries.
Under the law, migrants within the EU are entitled to claim benefits in the country where they work, even if their children are not living in that country.
Reports this morning say there is a backlog of around 17,600 claims for child benefit relating to non-resident children, the vast majority of them from Polish citizens.
Government figures have reportedly estimated that meeting these claims will add €90m to the annual child benefit bill, which already totals around €2bn.
