UKIP leader Nigel Farage has called for immigrants to be barred from receiving any benefits until they have been resident in the UK for five years. He also suggested they should not be eligible for tax credits, arguing the cost of migrants claiming in-work welfare payments had not been factored into government calculations.
London Mayor Boris Johnson waded into the debate, proposing a two-year ban on EU citizens claiming benefits. Labour said it supported the government's current three-month ban, describing it as "reasonable and achievable".
Downing Street cautioned that withholding benefits from migrants for longer periods may be illegal. "We are doing all that we can within the law," a No 10 spokesman said, adding ministers were examining measures to curb child benefit claims for children in their native countries.
A British Social Attitudes Survey found 77% of Britons want immigration cut, with 56% favouring a major crackdown. Almost half of those surveyed thought immigration was bad for the economy. Business Secretary Vince Cable told the BBC the government's net migration target of under 100,000 by 2015 was "not helpful" and likely unachievable.
Shadow immigration minister David Hanson said Cable should enforce the minimum wage more strictly and prevent recruitment agencies from hiring solely abroad. Former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw admitted Labour "got it wrong" on immigration.
