HC Deb 01 March 1977 vol 927 cc114-7W
Mrs. Chalker

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list for each EEC and other country any health or social security benefit not covered by reciprocal agreements with the United Kingdom.

Mr. Deakins

The only British social security benefit not covered by the EEC Regulations on Social Security for migrant workers is invalid care allowance. Bilateral agreements with EEC countries provide cover for persons outside the scope of the Regulations for all British benefits except as shown in the following table.

Reciprocal agreements with countries outside the EEC cover all British social

Country WB GA CSA SB IVB UB MB DG
Australia X X X
Austria X
Bermuda X X X X X X X
Canada X X X X X X X
Cyprus X
Finland X X
Guernsey X
Isle of Man
Israel X X X
Jamaica X X X X
Jersey X X
Malta X X X
New Zealand X X X
Norway X
Spain
Sweden X X
Switzerland X X X
Turkey X X
USA X X X X X X X
Yugoslavia X X

Country IB DIS B IDB FAM CHIB AA NCIP MOB ALLCE ICA
Australia X X X X X X X
Austria X X X X
Bermuda X X X X X
Canada X X X X X X X
Cyprus X X X X X
Finland X X X X
Guernsey X X X X
Isle of Man X X X
Israel X X X X X
Jamaica X X X X X
Jersey X X X X
Malta X X X X X
New Zealand X X X X X X X
Norway X X X X
Spain X X X X
Sweden X X X X
Switzerland X X X X
Turkey X X X X X
USA X X X X X X X X
Yugoslavia X X X X
Social Security Benefits not covered by Bilateral Reciprocal Agreement are denoted by X.

(1) In the tables above the descriptions of benefits are abbreviated as follows:
WB Widow's benefit.
GA Guardian's allowance.
CSA Child's special allowance.
SB Sickness benefit.
IVB Invalidity benefit.
UB Unemployment benefit.
MB Maternity benefit.
DG Death grant.
IB Injury benefit.
DIS B Disablement benefit.
TDB Industrial death benefit.
FAM Family allowances.
CHIB Child interim benefit.
AA Attendance allowance.
NCIP Non-contributory invalidity pension.
MOD ALLCE Mobility allowance.
ICA Invalid care allowance.
(2) The extent of coverage of benefits not listed varies from one agreement to another and may not include payment outside the home country.
It is not known which social security benefits of foreign countries are not covered by reciprocal agreements with the United Kingdom.

security benefits expect those shown in the following table:

As far as health benefits are concerned, workers covered by the EEC social security regulations may receive health care on the same terms as residents of the other country. The self-employed and non-employed are at present excluded from these arrangements but are covered by bilateral agreements in the case of Gibraltar, Denmark and the Federal Republic of Germany.

Reciprocal health care agreements have also been concluded with the following countries:

Austria. Norway.
Bulgaria. Poland.
Czechoslovakia Romania.
Guernsey. Sweden.
Jersey. USSR.
Malta. Yugoslavia.
New Zealand.

These agreements entitle visitors to obtain emergency care in the other country. Save in exceptional cases under the USSR agreement, they do not enable citizens to travel specially to obtain treatment in the other country. In Austria only in-patient care in public hospitals is provided under the agreement.

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