David Cameron has refused to deny that he is considering plans to stop young Britons claiming in-work benefits – an idea that emerged when the government was told that a Tory manifesto pledge to apply such restrictions solely to EU migrants would be illegal.
The prime minister insisted that negotiations with the EU had only just begun. But he did not deny that legal advice had been given suggesting that reforms intended to stop EU migrants claiming benefits during their first four years in the UK would also stop Britons aged 18 to 22 claiming benefits such as tax credits and child benefit.
He said: “There’s legal advice that floats around and people make this argument and that argument. My point is we have only just started the renegotiation process to put in place the welfare changes that I set out in the manifesto, which I remain committed to.”
He added: “That’s what we set out in the manifesto. We have only just started the process of going through the technical discussions about what we can do in terms of this negotiation.
“What’s good is that it’s under way, so the process has started.”
In an interview with the BBC to mark the first 100 days of the new government, the prime minister said in-work benefits acted as a draw for workers from the rest of the EU.
