katero
Jun 26, 2026

Poland tells citizens to max out British benefits before heading home

Poland tells citizens to max out British benefits before heading home

Poland's government is telling its own citizens to max out British benefits and apply for Jobseeker's Allowance before heading home, sparking outrage in the UK.

Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add as a preferred source on Google Add us as preferred source Comments By Aaron Newbury, Political Correspondent 12:29, Fri, Jun 26, 2026 Updated: 12:31, Fri, Jun 26, 2026

In this photo illustration Polish driving licenses are seen

Poland tells citizens to max out UK benefits (Image: Getty)

Poles have been told by their own government to max out their benefits in Britain before heading home. Official government guidance for citizens living overseas instructs those thinking about coming back to "considering whether you are eligible for Jobseeker’s Allowance" before leaving. Deals done between London and Brussels since Brexit enable EU residents who got settled status before December 2020 to keep some of their welfare bungs when they move to an EU nation for up to three months.

That means Poles heading back to their home country can claim hundreds of pounds at the expense of the British taxpayer without looking for work in the UK.

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Since the United Kingdom's historic vote to leave the EU in 2016 thousands of Polish nationals have headed back.

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