Press Release: Social security: improved and simplified rules for aircrew and cross-border self-employed workers

New EU social security rules came into force on 28 June 2012 to simplify access to social security for air hostesses, stewards and pilots and to improve access to unemployment benefit for self-employed frontier workers.

The new social security rules for aircrew clarify that they are due to pay social security contributions and are eligible to receive benefits in the country where they start and end their shifts, in other words their "home base", instead of in the country where their airline is based.

For self-employed frontier workers, the new rules ensure that in cases where the country of residence has no unemployment benefit scheme for self-employed people, the country of last activity will pay the unemployment benefit. This way, the person concerned will receive a return on the contributions paid. The applicant must register with the unemployment services in the country of last employment and fulfil job-seeking activities there in order to be fully entitled to an unemployment benefit.