Balog discusses bilateral cooperation in London, Edinburgh

London, June 11 (MTI) – Human Resources Minister Zoltan Balog discussed the transformation of the social welfare system with British Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Iain Duncan Smith in London and opportunities for cooperation in higher education with Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning Angela Constance in Edinburgh.

Balog told MTI by phone late on Wednesday that the transformation of Britain’s labour and social welfare system was progressing in a similar direction as Hungary’s, with services increasingly tied to meeting certain conditions. In Britain social help is only offered if the recipient meets certain conditions that help him or her switch from a passive condition to an active one, Balog said. This approach is similar to Hungarian regulations that tie family benefits to children attending school, he added.

The minister assured Duncan Smith that the Hungarian government understood British plans that oblige EU citizens seeking work in Britain to return home if they are unsuccessful for six months.