[mobertol]

Workers from the original member states of the EU have the right to reside in the UK and can apply for income-based Jobseekers allowance on passing the habitual residence test and other elligibility restrictions-this usually takes between 1-3 months.

A8 members (the states which joined in 2004) do not have the right to the same benefits until they have been working for 12 consecutive months in the UK.

The 2003 Treaty of Accession allowed EU member states to impose restrictions on the free movement of labour from the A8 states for a maximum of 7 years from May 1st 2004. These measures could only be maintained after 2009 if there were proven to be serious disturbances (or threat thereof) to the UK labour market ie the current recession.
(Extracted from Homeoffice website.)

The EU is obviously pressing for the restrictions on the A8 states to be lifted. It can't be right though for the UK to be expected to act as a safety valve for the rest of Europe in this way. The economic conditions across Europe are such that a great many are out of work -consider for example -here in Italy, a young person searching for their first job has no right to any government support or jobseekers allowance -their family is obliged to maintain them fully. Workers who lose their jobs before 24 consecutive months of work also have no right to assistance if they become unemployed.
This is just one example -other countries are in an even worse position. This is just a illustration of why the UK must seem like the promised land...
The "get out of jail free card" of the 2003 Treaty is the fact that there is currently a double dip recession in act in the UK, presumably the present government will use this in the defence of the current regulations. However ,it must not be forgotten that the Labour government of 2003 DID accept the original treaty and unless the country has a Referendum and decides to leave the EU, the freedom of movement for A8 members will have to come into act at some time -probably in the not to distant future....