British benefit proposals most difficult in EU talks-chief negotiator

DUBLIN, Nov 25 (Reuters) - A proposal that people coming to Britain from the EU must live in the country for four years before qualifying for state benefits will be the hardest aspect of renegotiating Britain's EU membership, the EU's chief negotiator said on Wednesday.

"That looks very like discrimination (to some people), so poses very serious problems under single market rules," Jonathan Faull, the head of a task force dealing with reforms demanded by Britain ahead of a referendum on membership, said in a speech.

"We have a significant political legal task ahead of us about how you can run your social security system in a single market. I can't pretend that that is easy. I think in fact it is the most difficult of all of these issues." (Reporting by Conor Humphries; Writing by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Louise Ireland)

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