More Than £10 Billion of Universal Credit Went to Non-UK Citizens Last Year

RICHARD ELDRED

One in every six pounds of Universal Credit now goes to foreigners, with payouts topping £10 billion. The Telegraph has the story.

Internal government data, published for the first time, show more than £10 billion was paid in Universal Credit to non-UK or Irish citizens last year.

The data, released under freedom of information laws, reveal that £10.1 billion of the £61.2 billion spent on Universal Credit in 2024 went to foreigners.

It means that 16.5% of the entire budget went to migrants – or £1 in every £6.

The amount spent on overseas nationals has increased from £6.3 billion in 2022 and £7.9 billion in 2023, rising as a proportion from 15.5 to 16.5%. …

The statistics will add to concerns about the escalating burden on the taxpayer of supporting large numbers of migrants in low-paying jobs.

Both the Tories and Reform have said they would bar foreign nationals from claiming benefits to bring down the spiralling welfare bill.

The new figures showed that households containing at least one Pakistani national claimed £700 million of Universal Credit last year, up from £430 million two years ago.

Meanwhile, the total amount received by households with at least one Afghan citizen has doubled in the space of two years from £150 million to £300 million. …

Benefits can only be claimed by foreign nationals who either have indefinite leave to remain, following five years of residency, or refugee status. …

The £10.1 billion figure also does not include foreign-born individuals who came to the UK as migrants but who have since gone on to claim UK citizenship.

The revelation comes after researchers warned that migrants who have arrived since January 2021 could alone cost taxpayers £234 billion.

The Centre for Policy Studies said that 800,000 foreign nationals could claim indefinite leave to remain in the UK by the end of the decade.

That would make them entitled to access benefits, including unemployment and sickness handouts, as well as free treatment on the NHS. …

In July, official statistics released by the Department for Work and Pensions revealed that more than 1.2 million foreign nationals were claiming Universal Credit. It was the first time figures had been broken down by immigration status.

This was equivalent to one in five (19%) of all claims and a 9% year-on-year increase.

Worth reading in full.

Via The Daily Sceptic

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