Benefit tourism is a term that has featured heavily in UK political debate, particularly around EU membership and the Brexit referendum. Television programmes about the welfare system and a common perception that UK benefits are easy to obtain have kept the topic in the public eye.
But what does benefit tourism actually mean? This article explains the concept, where the term came from and the controversy and evidence surrounding it.
- What is benefit tourism?
- Where does the term benefit tourism come from?
- A definition of benefit tourism
- Where do benefit tourists come from?
- Why do migrants come to the UK?
- What kinds of social benefits are on offer to benefit tourists?
- The role of benefit tourism in the Brexit debate
- Benefit tourism statistics
- Benefit tourism: Conclusion
What is benefit tourism?
Benefit tourism, also known as welfare tourism, is the term given to people who travel to a destination with the intention of claiming social benefits.
The term has been used particularly in the United Kingdom, where migration from the European Union and elsewhere became a major topic in the media and politics.
It was also a prominent theme in the 2016 Brexit referendum campaign.
Where does the term benefit tourism come from?
The term benefit tourism became widely used as the European Union expanded, particularly after the 2004 enlargement, when countries such as Poland, Latvia and Lithuania joined, followed by Romania and Bulgaria in 2007. Enlargement brought economic advantages, such as access to new labour and markets, but also raised concerns in some wealthier member states about pressure on public services and welfare systems.
The problem arises as a result of one of the fundamental principles of the European Union: Freedom of Movement.
Freedom of movement allows EU citizens to live and work in any member state. In principle, this means that people from less wealthy countries are free to relocate to countries, such as the UK, that are able to offer them employment, accommodation and welfare options that might not be available to them in their home country.
A definition of benefit tourism
The term benefit tourism has not been clearly defined. Some question whether it exists on any significant scale at all.
The question of whether economically inactive citizens who are, or have been, in receipt of benefits from a country other than their own do indeed qualify as ‘benefit tourists’ has been the subject of debate amongst the media and politicians for years.
The basic idea is that someone moves to the UK, or another wealthier nation, primarily to claim social benefits. However, the reality is more complicated.
What about if an economic migrant, who relocates for work, is suddenly made unemployed and consequently must claim social benefits? Is this person a ‘benefit tourist’?
What if a person moves to be closer to family, but also claims benefits? Are they a benefit tourist?
What if a person relocates for work but is also entitled to benefits such as in-work benefits or child benefit? Is this person a benefit tourist?
The reality is not black and white. The common perception is that a benefit tourist moves to a destination with the primary motivation of claiming financial benefits, but motivation is very difficult to determine and measure.
For the purposes of debate, benefit tourism can be summarised as follows:
‘Benefit tourism is when a person relocates to a particular area where their primary motivation is to obtain the financial benefits that are available to them in said location.’
Where do benefit tourists come from?
People migrate from all over the world, and it is human nature to seek better opportunities for oneself and one’s family. Note that, despite the name, benefit tourism is not really a form of tourism, since it involves migration rather than temporary travel (see types of tourists).
In the UK, the term has mostly been associated with migrants from Central and Eastern Europe.
Many people in the UK have believed that large numbers of migrants move to the country to claim benefits. However, there has been little evidence to support this. Research, including analysis by the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, found that EU migrants in the UK generally had higher employment rates than UK-born people and were less likely to claim out-of-work benefits.
Why do migrants come to the UK?
The UK is seen as a wealthy and stable country with a strong economy. Many migrants from Central and Eastern Europe found work in hospitality, manufacturing, food processing, agriculture and care.
Many of these jobs have been difficult to fill, with employers reporting shortages of UK applicants for roles such as seasonal fruit picking, meat processing and social care.
Migrant workers have therefore played an important role in filling labour shortages in these sectors, including in the hospitality and tourism industry.
Even though the hours are long and the jobs might be undesirable, for many people, this is a significant improvement on their job prospects in their home country. The salaries are much higher and the working conditions are often better. This is the main reason why many people chose to move from Eastern Europe to the UK for work.
What kinds of social benefits are on offer to benefit tourists?
The UK has a comprehensive welfare state, although the level of support available varies depending on the government of the day and the state of the economy.
Residents may be able to access a range of public services and benefits. The NHS provides healthcare free at the point of use for people who are ordinarily resident, although most visa holders must pay the Immigration Health Surcharge, and overseas visitors can be charged for many treatments.
State education is free for children living in the UK, and eligible residents may be able to claim financial support such as Universal Credit, Child Benefit, disability benefits and the State Pension.
Access to benefits for migrants has been tightened significantly over time. Since freedom of movement ended on 31 December 2020, most people who come to the UK on a visa have a ‘no recourse to public funds’ condition, meaning they cannot claim most benefits. EU citizens who were already living in the UK could apply to stay through the EU Settlement Scheme. Meanwhile, most older means-tested benefits, such as tax credits, have been replaced by Universal Credit.
The role of benefit tourism in the Brexit debate
Concerns about immigration were one of the factors behind the 2016 vote to leave the European Union. Some voters believed that migrants from the EU were putting pressure on jobs, wages and the welfare system.
However, many studies found that EU migrants made a net positive fiscal contribution to the UK overall, although the impacts on local services and wages remain debated.
Benefit tourism statistics
Because of the ambiguity over what constitutes a ‘benefit tourist’ and what doesn’t, there are no clear statistics to quantify the scale of the benefit tourism industry, if indeed it does exist at all.
Official data on migration, employment and benefit claims is published by sources such as the Office for National Statistics and the Department for Work and Pensions. However, determining how far these data relate to the concept of benefit tourism is not straightforward.
Benefit tourism: Conclusion
In summary, the evidence suggests that benefit tourism has been far less common than public debate implied. Data on EU migrants largely showed high employment rates and a need for migrant labour in sectors such as hospitality, agriculture and care.
Since Brexit, the rules have changed substantially, with most new migrants unable to claim benefits. Nonetheless, the debate about benefit tourism remains a useful case study of how perceptions, the media and politics can shape attitudes towards migration and mobility.
Benefit tourism: FAQs
Below are answers to some of the most common questions about benefit tourism.
What is benefit tourism?
Benefit tourism, also called welfare tourism, describes people moving to another country primarily in order to claim social security benefits.
Is benefit tourism a real form of tourism?
Not really. Despite the name, it refers to migration rather than temporary travel for leisure or business, and the term is mostly used in political debate.
Is there evidence of benefit tourism in the UK?
Research found little evidence of large-scale benefit tourism. EU migrants in the UK generally had higher employment rates than UK-born people and were less likely to claim out-of-work benefits.
Can migrants claim benefits in the UK after Brexit?
Most people who come to the UK on a visa have a ‘no recourse to public funds’ condition, so cannot claim most benefits. EU citizens with settled status have similar rights to UK residents.
Why was benefit tourism linked to Brexit?
Concerns about immigration and pressure on public services were prominent in the 2016 referendum campaign, and some campaigners argued that EU free movement allowed people to claim UK benefits.
Further reading
If you found this article helpful, the following posts may also be of interest:
- Types of tourists
- What is a tourist?
- Visiting friends and relatives (VFR)
- What is medical tourism?
- What is globalisation?
