More than one million foreign nationals are claiming benefits in Britain, according to a new analysis. 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.
The research by the the Centre for Migration Control (CMC) suggests 40 nationalities are claiming benefits at a greater rate per head of population than British citizens after getting indefinite leave to remain, settled or refugee status. Tory shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the amount was “unacceptable” and “astonishing”.
Mr Philp told The Telegraph: “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 analysis is based on 2019 DWP data which shows there were 990,000 foreigners – 610,000 non-EU nationals and 380,000 EU nationals – claiming working-age benefits.
The figures have not been updated by the DWP since then but the CMS estimated a further 168,000 claimants would have been added if claims continued at the same rate.
This gives a total of 1,158,000 but will be lower as some will have left, died or stopped claiming.
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: “We have a duty to pay benefits to all those entitled to receive them, however the figures highlighted refer to 2019, and can’t be used to provide an indication of the current nationality of claimants.
“Universal credit is designed to incentivise moving people into employment and progression at work and has a thorough application process.
“Illegal migrants with no immigration status cannot receive universal credit and refugees and non-UK or Irish citizens can only receive payments once they have had their status granted by the Home Office and satisfy the Habitual Residence Test.”
