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<p>HMRC are not able to provide the information in the manner requested. HMRC do not
record the nationality of the claimant receiving Child Benefit for children living
in another member state.</p><p> </p><p>Published Child Benefit statistics provide
annual estimates of the number of families and children claiming. The latest available
(August 2012) show that there were 7.92 million families, responsible for 13.77 million
children and qualifying young people receiving Child Benefit.</p><p>The main purpose
of Child Benefit is to support families in the UK. Consequently, the rules generally
do not provide for them to be paid in respect of children who live abroad.</p><p>
</p><p>Nevertheless, Child Benefit is a family benefit under EC Regulation 883/2004.
This regulation protects the social security rights of nationals of all member states
of the European economic area, including the UK, and Switzerland when they exercise
their rights of free movement under EU law.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC holds information on
the number of Child Benefit awards under EC Regulation 883/2004. As at 31 December
2013, there were 20,400 ongoing Child Benefit awards under the EC Regulation in respect
of 34.268 children living in another member state.</p><p> </p><p>This is a fall of
3,682 (15.3%) awards in respect of 5,903 (14.7%) fewer children since 31 December
2012.</p><p> </p><p>The breakdown by member state is as follows:</p><p> </p><p>*We
have withheld the number where it is fewer than 5, as there is risk that the information
could be attributed to an identifiable person, which would prejudice their right to
privacy and would therefore be a breach of Principle 1 of the Data Protection Act.</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p>Child Benefit</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Country of residence of children</p></td><td><p>Number
of awards</p></td><td><p>Number of children</p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td>
</td></tr><tr><td><p>Austria</p></td><td><p>23</p></td><td><p>37</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Belgium</p></td><td><p>75</p></td><td><p>140</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bulgaria</p></td><td><p>186</p></td><td><p>245</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Croatia</p></td><td><p>*5</p></td><td><p>*5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cyprus</p></td><td><p>39</p></td><td><p>61</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Czech
Republic</p></td><td><p>124</p></td><td><p>203</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Denmark</p></td><td><p>13</p></td><td><p>23</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Estonia</p></td><td><p>45</p></td><td><p>65</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Finland</p></td><td><p>12</p></td><td><p>23</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>France</p></td><td><p>789</p></td><td><p>1429</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Germany</p></td><td><p>283</p></td><td><p>495</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Greece</p></td><td><p>44</p></td><td><p>69</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Hungary</p></td><td><p>136</p></td><td><p>196</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Iceland</p></td><td><p>*5</p></td><td><p>*5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Italy</p></td><td><p>156</p></td><td><p>273</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Latvia</p></td><td><p>797</p></td><td><p>1091</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Liechtenstein</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Lithuania</p></td><td><p>1215</p></td><td><p>1712</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Luxembourg</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Malta</p></td><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>22</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Norway</p></td><td><p>30</p></td><td><p>61</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Poland</p></td><td><p>13174</p></td><td><p>22093</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Portugal</p></td><td><p>202</p></td><td><p>309</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Republic
of Ireland</p></td><td><p>1231</p></td><td><p>2505</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Romania</p></td><td><p>230</p></td><td><p>392</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Slovakia</p></td><td><p>692</p></td><td><p>1232</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Slovenia</p></td><td><p>11</p></td><td><p>21</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Spain</p></td><td><p>600</p></td><td><p>1019</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sweden</p></td><td><p>49</p></td><td><p>95</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Switzerland</p></td><td><p>77</p></td><td><p>150</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>The
Netherlands</p></td><td><p>142</p></td><td><p>288</p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>
</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>Totals</p></td><td><p>20400</p></td><td><p>34268</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As announced in the 2014 Budget, to prevent
EEA migrants claiming benefits they are not entitled to, the Government will increase
compliance checks to establish whether EEA migrants meet the entitlement conditions
to receive Child Benefit</p><p> </p><p>Under domestic law, in order to claim Child
Benefit EEA Migrants must be present in the UK, ordinarily resident and have a right
to reside in the UK and their children must live in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>The recent
changes to migrants' access to benefits announced by the Government sends a strong
message that the UK benefit system is not open to abuse, as well as deterring those
who may seek residence in the UK primarily to claim benefits.</p><p>Strengthening
compliance checks will help prevent EEA migrants from claiming, and continuing to
claim, benefits they are not entitled to. Checks will be applied to both new claims
and existing awards.</p><p> </p>
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