WILL JONES
Benefits are being claimed by over one million foreign nationals, costing over £7.5 billion a year, according to an analysis of Government figures, prompting calls for an overhaul of eligibility rules. The Telegraph has more.
Households with at least one foreign national claimant received more than £7.5 billion in universal credit in 2023, figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show.
Foreign nationals become eligible for universal credit and other benefits on the same terms as British citizens once they are granted indefinite leave to remain and have settled or refugee status. After paying national insurance for 10 years, they are also entitled to the state pension.
The analysis by the Centre for Migration Control (CMC) suggests 40 nationalities – after getting indefinite leave to remain, settled status or refugee protection – are claiming benefits at a greater rate per head of population than British citizens. Three nationalities – Congolese, Iraqis and Afghans – are claiming benefits at four times the rate of British people.
The disclosure of the foreign welfare bill comes ahead of an expected announcement by Sir Keir Starmer unveiling up to £6 billion of benefit cuts. He has described the system as “unsustainable, indefensible and unfair” but is facing the biggest rebellion of his premiership over the planned reforms.
The cost of foreign benefit claims excludes a further £5.4 billion for accommodating and supporting a backlog of more than 100,000 asylum seekers. That cost rose five-fold in five years under the last Conservative government.
The bill is likely to increase as 800,000 foreign nationals are expected to receive indefinite leave to remain in the UK over the next decade following record levels of net migration of up to 906,000 a year, according to a separate analysis by the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS).
The Tories have proposed that jobless and low-paid migrants should be barred from remaining indefinitely in the UK. They have also argued that the length of time before anyone who has come to the UK can claim such leave to remain should be increased from five to 10 years.
Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary, said the benefits bill for foreign nationals was “unacceptable” and “astonishing”. “It is immoral that British taxpayers are subsidising nationals of other countries on an industrial scale. No wonder our taxes are so high,” he said.
“Research shows low-wage migrants actually cost other taxpayers money. This is why the era of mass migration has to end. I have tabled amendments to the Borders Bill to create a legally binding annual cap on immigration numbers and an increase in the visa salary threshold to £38,000 across the board.”
The CMC analysis is based on DWP data from 2019, which shows that there were 990,000 foreigners – 610,000 non-EU nationals and 380,000 EU nationals – who were claiming working-age benefits, an increase of 9% on the year before. This compared with 6.1 million Britons, which had only increased by 4% since 2018.
Worth reading in full.
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ELIANA SILVER
More than £7.5bn is being spend on universal credit as over one million foreign nationals are claiming benefits, Government figures have shown.
Figures from the Department of Work and Pensions have shown that households with at least one foreign national claimant received over £7.5billion in benefits in 2023.
Once foreign nationals are granted indefinite leave to remain, and have settled or have refugee status, they become entitled for benefits on the same terms as British citizens.
They are also eligible to receive a state pension.
In addition to the cost of foreign benefit claims, a further £5.4bn goes towards accommodating and supporting a backlog of over 100,000 migrants PA
Analysis by the Centre for Migration Control (CMC) has found that Congolese, Iraqi and Afghan people are claiming benefits at four times the rate of British people.
Overall, 40 nationalities are claiming more benifits than British citizens.
The disclosure of the foreign welfare bill comes before Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce up to £6bn in benefit cuts.
He has called the system “unsustainable, indefensible and unfair” .
In addition to the cost of foreign benefit claims, a further £5.4bn goes towards accommodating and supporting a backlog of over 100,000 migrants.
This cost quintupled under the previous Government.
The bill is expected to rise as around 800,000 foreign nationals are set to be given indefinite leave to remain in the UK over the next decade following.
This is due to record levels of net migration of around 906,000 a year, according to analysis by the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS).
Conservatives have argued that low-paid and jobless asylum seekers should be banned from remaining indefinitely in the country.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp branded the benefits bill for foreign nationals “unacceptable” and “astonishing”.
He said: “It is immoral that British taxpayers are subsidising nationals of other countries on an industrial scale. No wonder our taxes are so high.
“Research shows low-wage migrants actually cost other taxpayers money. This is why the era of mass migration has to end.
“I have tabled amendments to the Borders Bill to create a legally binding annual cap on immigration numbers and an increase in the visa salary threshold to £38,000 across the board.”
The findings are based on DWP data from 2019, showing that 990,000 foreigners were claiming working-age benefits, an increase of nine per cent from 2018.
Meanwhile, 6.1 million Britons were claiming benefits – an increase of only four per cent from the year before.
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