{ "id": "uc-immigration", "title": "Universal Credit by immigration status and nationality", "generatedAt": "2026-09-29T01:00:03.501Z", "geography": { "code": "K03000001", "name": "Great Britain" }, "sources": [ { "id": "dwp-uc-immigration", "name": "Universal Credit quarterly statistics, 29 April 2013 to 14 May 2026: immigration status and nationality tables", "publisher": "Department for Work and Pensions", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/universal-credit-quarterly-statistics-29-april-2013-to-14-may-2026", "file": "https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a82c17492ec93e1e0329a46/uc-immigration-status-nationality-statistics-to-may-2026.ods", "published": "2026-08-18", "edition": "2026-05", "licence": "ogl-3" }, { "id": "dwp-foi-2026-83815", "name": "DWP Freedom of Information response FOI2026/83815: Universal Credit paid to households with at least one non-CTA national, 2025", "publisher": "Department for Work and Pensions", "url": "https://centreformigrationcontrol.com/research/migrant-households-received-12bn-in-universal-credit-payments-in-2025", "file": "https://centreformigrationcontrol.com/airo-assets/uploads/research-pdfs/1789944912332-e2d35adf5328.pdf", "published": "2026-09-17", "edition": "Calendar year 2025", "licence": "cited", "route": "Freedom of Information request by the Centre for Migration Control; DWP's reply is reproduced in full in the Centre's briefing. DWP says the figures are not official statistics." }, { "id": "home-office-public-funds", "name": "Public funds: caseworker guidance", "publisher": "Home Office", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-funds--2/public-funds", "published": "2025-04-09", "edition": null, "licence": "ogl-3" } ], "data": { "release": { "title": "Universal Credit quarterly statistics, 29 April 2013 to 14 May 2026", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/universal-credit-quarterly-statistics-29-april-2013-to-14-may-2026", "file": "https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a82c17492ec93e1e0329a46/uc-immigration-status-nationality-statistics-to-may-2026.ods", "published": "2026-08-18" }, "months": [ { "month": "2022-04", "people": { "cta": 4612021, "euss": 644643, "humanitarian": 3225, "refugee": 64113, "ilr": 95330, "limited-leave": 68750, "other": 6527, "unrecorded": 51522 }, "total": 5546131, "notCta": 934110, "notCtaPct": 16.8, "notCtaRecorded": 882588, "notCtaRecordedPct": 16.1 }, { "month": "2022-05", "people": { "cta": 4603872, "euss": 643479, "humanitarian": 7476, "refugee": 65131, "ilr": 96563, "limited-leave": 69726, "other": 7097, "unrecorded": 48491 }, "total": 5541835, "notCta": 937963, "notCtaPct": 16.9, "notCtaRecorded": 889472, "notCtaRecordedPct": 16.2 }, { "month": "2022-06", "people": { "cta": 4608611, "euss": 643233, "humanitarian": 19341, "refugee": 66298, "ilr": 97841, "limited-leave": 70623, "other": 7784, "unrecorded": 47043 }, "total": 5560774, "notCta": 952163, "notCtaPct": 17.1, "notCtaRecorded": 905120, "notCtaRecordedPct": 16.4 }, { "month": "2022-07", "people": { "cta": 4647509, "euss": 646210, "humanitarian": 33053, "refugee": 67688, "ilr": 99322, "limited-leave": 71695, "other": 8944, "unrecorded": 45616 }, "total": 5620037, "notCta": 972528, "notCtaPct": 17.3, "notCtaRecorded": 926912, "notCtaRecordedPct": 16.6 }, { "month": "2022-08", "people": { "cta": 4678297, "euss": 647791, "humanitarian": 39803, 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"cta": 5246668, "euss": 699084, "humanitarian": 46959, "refugee": 97621, "ilr": 131323, "limited-leave": 83097, "other": 23571, "unrecorded": 30982 }, "total": 6359305, "notCta": 1112637, "notCtaPct": 17.5, "notCtaRecorded": 1081655, "notCtaRecordedPct": 17.1 }, { "month": "2024-02", "people": { "cta": 5331902, "euss": 704695, "humanitarian": 47990, "refugee": 101668, "ilr": 134712, "limited-leave": 83535, "other": 25011, "unrecorded": 29248 }, "total": 6458761, "notCta": 1126859, "notCtaPct": 17.4, "notCtaRecorded": 1097611, "notCtaRecordedPct": 17.1 }, { "month": "2024-03", "people": { "cta": 5453156, "euss": 713317, "humanitarian": 49292, "refugee": 105114, "ilr": 139113, "limited-leave": 83845, "other": 26272, "unrecorded": 28773 }, "total": 6598882, "notCta": 1145726, "notCtaPct": 17.4, "notCtaRecorded": 1116953, "notCtaRecordedPct": 17 }, { "month": "2024-04", "people": { "cta": 5520116, "euss": 720193, "humanitarian": 49834, "refugee": 107157, "ilr": 142531, "limited-leave": 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"notCtaRecorded": 1165345, "notCtaRecordedPct": 17 }, { "month": "2024-08", "people": { "cta": 5761203, "euss": 734456, "humanitarian": 51326, "refugee": 110472, "ilr": 155637, "limited-leave": 86943, "other": 29589, "unrecorded": 39177 }, "total": 6968803, "notCta": 1207600, "notCtaPct": 17.3, "notCtaRecorded": 1168423, "notCtaRecordedPct": 16.9 }, { "month": "2024-09", "people": { "cta": 5863103, "euss": 738974, "humanitarian": 51156, "refugee": 110162, "ilr": 159218, "limited-leave": 88067, "other": 30102, "unrecorded": 38027 }, "total": 7078809, "notCta": 1215706, "notCtaPct": 17.2, "notCtaRecorded": 1177679, "notCtaRecordedPct": 16.7 }, { "month": "2024-10", "people": { "cta": 5936867, "euss": 748124, "humanitarian": 51244, "refugee": 110431, "ilr": 160366, "limited-leave": 88779, "other": 30994, "unrecorded": 36913 }, "total": 7163718, "notCta": 1226851, "notCtaPct": 17.1, "notCtaRecorded": 1189938, "notCtaRecordedPct": 16.7 }, { "month": "2024-11", "people": { "cta": 6035484, "euss": 755766, "humanitarian": 52233, "refugee": 112762, "ilr": 165684, "limited-leave": 86675, "other": 31944, "unrecorded": 35629 }, "total": 7276177, "notCta": 1240693, "notCtaPct": 17.1, "notCtaRecorded": 1205064, "notCtaRecordedPct": 16.6 }, { "month": "2024-12", "people": { "cta": 6105617, "euss": 758986, "humanitarian": 53316, "refugee": 112021, "ilr": 179341, "limited-leave": 79243, "other": 32313, "unrecorded": 34641 }, "total": 7355478, "notCta": 1249861, "notCtaPct": 17, "notCtaRecorded": 1215220, "notCtaRecordedPct": 16.6 }, { "month": "2025-01", "people": { "cta": 6139835, "euss": 757573, "humanitarian": 68525, "refugee": 95439, "ilr": 187456, "limited-leave": 76933, "other": 32088, "unrecorded": 33914 }, "total": 7391763, "notCta": 1251928, "notCtaPct": 16.9, "notCtaRecorded": 1218014, "notCtaRecordedPct": 16.6 }, { "month": "2025-02", "people": { "cta": 6250368, "euss": 762283, "humanitarian": 75454, "refugee": 90164, "ilr": 194239, "limited-leave": 76616, "other": 33064, "unrecorded": 32892 }, "total": 7515080, "notCta": 1264712, "notCtaPct": 16.8, "notCtaRecorded": 1231820, "notCtaRecordedPct": 16.5 }, { "month": "2025-03", "people": { "cta": 6322691, "euss": 764290, "humanitarian": 76410, "refugee": 90898, "ilr": 198943, "limited-leave": 76659, "other": 33065, "unrecorded": 32147 }, "total": 7595103, "notCta": 1272412, "notCtaPct": 16.8, "notCtaRecorded": 1240265, "notCtaRecordedPct": 16.4 }, { "month": "2025-04", "people": { "cta": 6400356, "euss": 765451, "humanitarian": 78780, "refugee": 90217, "ilr": 204378, "limited-leave": 75506, "other": 33300, "unrecorded": 31468 }, "total": 7679456, "notCta": 1279100, "notCtaPct": 16.7, "notCtaRecorded": 1247632, "notCtaRecordedPct": 16.3 }, { "month": "2025-05", "people": { "cta": 6457433, "euss": 763687, "humanitarian": 78323, "refugee": 90709, "ilr": 208348, "limited-leave": 74322, "other": 32880, "unrecorded": 30789 }, "total": 7736491, "notCta": 1279058, "notCtaPct": 16.5, "notCtaRecorded": 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"humanitarian": 52979, "refugee": 121744, "ilr": 215624, "limited-leave": 75729, "other": 34496, "unrecorded": 27540 }, "total": 8117631, "notCta": 1282136, "notCtaPct": 15.8, "notCtaRecorded": 1254596, "notCtaRecordedPct": 15.5 }, { "month": "2025-10", "people": { "cta": 6922151, "euss": 753714, "humanitarian": 52655, "refugee": 123659, "ilr": 217710, "limited-leave": 76372, "other": 34683, "unrecorded": 26865 }, "total": 8207809, "notCta": 1285658, "notCtaPct": 15.7, "notCtaRecorded": 1258793, "notCtaRecordedPct": 15.4 }, { "month": "2025-11", "people": { "cta": 7012169, "euss": 753483, "humanitarian": 52897, "refugee": 126645, "ilr": 219048, "limited-leave": 77056, "other": 35339, "unrecorded": 26142 }, "total": 8302779, "notCta": 1290610, "notCtaPct": 15.5, "notCtaRecorded": 1264468, "notCtaRecordedPct": 15.3 }, { "month": "2025-12", "people": { "cta": 7049665, "euss": 753754, "humanitarian": 53131, "refugee": 128592, "ilr": 220283, "limited-leave": 77424, "other": 35152, "unrecorded": 25657 }, "total": 8343658, "notCta": 1293993, "notCtaPct": 15.5, "notCtaRecorded": 1268336, "notCtaRecordedPct": 15.2 }, { "month": "2026-01", "people": { "cta": 7034328, "euss": 748959, "humanitarian": 52868, "refugee": 129400, "ilr": 220358, "limited-leave": 77464, "other": 34302, "unrecorded": 25155 }, "total": 8322834, "notCta": 1288506, "notCtaPct": 15.5, "notCtaRecorded": 1263351, "notCtaRecordedPct": 15.2 }, { "month": "2026-02", "people": { "cta": 7050313, "euss": 748947, "humanitarian": 52821, "refugee": 129806, "ilr": 224006, "limited-leave": 76837, "other": 34594, "unrecorded": 24617 }, "total": 8341941, "notCta": 1291628, "notCtaPct": 15.5, "notCtaRecorded": 1267011, "notCtaRecordedPct": 15.2 }, { "month": "2026-03", "people": { "cta": 7007241, "euss": 740835, "humanitarian": 52125, "refugee": 127591, "ilr": 228164, "limited-leave": 75041, "other": 34120, "unrecorded": 24102 }, "total": 8289219, "notCta": 1281978, "notCtaPct": 15.5, "notCtaRecorded": 1257876, "notCtaRecordedPct": 15.2 }, { "month": "2026-04", "people": { "cta": 7029336, "euss": 742233, "humanitarian": 52308, "refugee": 128936, "ilr": 230651, "limited-leave": 75076, "other": 34240, "unrecorded": 23750 }, "total": 8316530, "notCta": 1287194, "notCtaPct": 15.5, "notCtaRecorded": 1263444, "notCtaRecordedPct": 15.2 }, { "month": "2026-05", "people": { "cta": 7065665, "euss": 744679, "humanitarian": 52499, "refugee": 130618, "ilr": 233217, "limited-leave": 75512, "other": 34209, "unrecorded": 23343 }, "total": 8359742, "notCta": 1294077, "notCtaPct": 15.5, "notCtaRecorded": 1270734, "notCtaRecordedPct": 15.2 } ], "employment": { "month": "2026-04", "byStatus": { "cta": { "inWork": 2504155, "notInWork": 4525174, "inWorkPct": 35.6 }, "euss": { "inWork": 425749, "notInWork": 316483, "inWorkPct": 57.4 }, "humanitarian": { "inWork": 27408, "notInWork": 24898, "inWorkPct": 52.4 }, "refugee": { "inWork": 38595, "notInWork": 90338, "inWorkPct": 29.9 }, "ilr": { "inWork": 91123, "notInWork": 139524, "inWorkPct": 39.5 }, "limited-leave": { "inWork": 27698, "notInWork": 47376, "inWorkPct": 36.9 }, "other": { "inWork": 13569, "notInWork": 20670, "inWorkPct": 39.6 }, "unrecorded": { "inWork": 10619, "notInWork": 13130, "inWorkPct": 44.7 } }, "byNationality": { "cta": { "inWork": 2504155, "notInWork": 4525174, "inWorkPct": 35.6 }, "eea": { "inWork": 331641, "notInWork": 241936, "inWorkPct": 57.8 }, "non-eea": { "inWork": 203958, "notInWork": 321609, "inWorkPct": 38.8 }, "unrecorded": { "inWork": 99162, "notInWork": 88874, "inWorkPct": 52.7 } }, "notCta": { "inWork": 634761, "notInWork": 652419, "inWorkPct": 49.3 }, "all": { "inWork": 3138916, "notInWork": 5177593, "inWorkPct": 37.7 } }, "peak": { "month": "2023-04", "pct": 17.6 }, "plateau": { "from": "2022-07", "to": "2024-08", "low": 17.3 }, "latest": { "month": "2026-05", "people": { "cta": 7065665, "euss": 744679, "humanitarian": 52499, "refugee": 130618, "ilr": 233217, "limited-leave": 75512, "other": 34209, "unrecorded": 23343 }, "total": 8359742, "notCta": 1294077, "notCtaPct": 15.5, "notCtaRecorded": 1270734, "notCtaRecordedPct": 15.2 }, "seriesBreak": "Between December 2024 and May 2025 up to about 34,000 refugees were recorded as Humanitarian by mistake. DWP cannot correct this, so the Refugee and Humanitarian lines jump in those months; the total is not affected.", "statuses": [ { "id": "cta", "label": "British, Irish or right of abode" }, { "id": "euss", "label": "EU Settlement Scheme (settled or pre-settled)" }, { "id": "ilr", "label": "Indefinite leave to remain" }, { "id": "refugee", "label": "Refugee" }, { "id": "limited-leave", "label": "Limited leave to remain, including family reunion" }, { "id": "humanitarian", "label": "Humanitarian schemes (for example Ukraine, Afghanistan, Hong Kong BN(O))" }, { "id": "other", "label": "Other" }, { "id": "unrecorded", "label": "No immigration status recorded" } ], "foi": { "reference": "FOI2026/83815", "replied": "2026-09-17", "requestedBy": "Centre for Migration Control", "publishedBy": "Centre for Migration Control, which reproduces DWP's full reply in its briefing", "url": "https://centreformigrationcontrol.com/research/migrant-households-received-12bn-in-universal-credit-payments-in-2025", "pdf": "https://centreformigrationcontrol.com/airo-assets/uploads/research-pdfs/1789944912332-e2d35adf5328.pdf", "period": "January to December 2025", "coverage": "Great Britain", "official": false, "definitions": [ "The figure is the whole Universal Credit award paid to households where at least one claimant's recorded nationality is not British, Irish or another Common Travel Area nationality, and who have passed the Habitual Residence Test. Universal Credit is paid per household and cannot be split between the people on a claim, so a household with one British and one non-British partner counts in full.", "It is not money paid to foreign nationals: it is money paid to households that contain at least one.", "Nationality is self-reported and the latest record is used. About 2% of households have someone with no recorded nationality and are left out.", "'Not in work' means at least one person in the household had no PAYE earnings and was not flagged as self-employed. A household can be counted as both in work and not in work, so the two groups overlap: added together they come to 113% of the total.", "DWP says these figures are not official statistics, that the method is still developing, and that totals may differ from its benefit expenditure tables." ], "figures": [ { "id": "foi-total-2025", "label": "Universal Credit paid to households with at least one non-British, non-Irish national", "value": 11920, "unit": "£m", "period": "2025", "source": "DWP, FOI2026/83815", "url": "https://centreformigrationcontrol.com/airo-assets/uploads/research-pdfs/1789944912332-e2d35adf5328.pdf", "published": "2026-09-17" }, { "id": "foi-share-2025", "label": "Share of all Universal Credit payments, calculated the same way", "value": 15.6, "unit": "%", "period": "2025", "source": "DWP, FOI2026/83815", "url": "https://centreformigrationcontrol.com/airo-assets/uploads/research-pdfs/1789944912332-e2d35adf5328.pdf", "published": "2026-09-17", "note": "16.3% in January 2025, 15.0% in December 2025." }, { "id": "foi-not-in-work-2025", "label": "Paid to those households where at least one person was recorded as not in work", "value": 7669, "unit": "£m", "period": "2025", "source": "DWP, FOI2026/83815", "url": "https://centreformigrationcontrol.com/airo-assets/uploads/research-pdfs/1789944912332-e2d35adf5328.pdf", "published": "2026-09-17", "note": "64.3% of the total. Overlaps with the in-work figure." }, { "id": "foi-in-work-2025", "label": "Paid to those households where at least one person was recorded as in work", "value": 5782, "unit": "£m", "period": "2025", "source": "DWP, FOI2026/83815", "url": "https://centreformigrationcontrol.com/airo-assets/uploads/research-pdfs/1789944912332-e2d35adf5328.pdf", "published": "2026-09-17", "note": "Overlaps with the not-in-work figure." }, { "id": "foi-eea-2025", "label": "Paid to households with at least one EEA national", "value": 6613, "unit": "£m", "period": "2025", "source": "DWP, FOI2026/83815", "url": "https://centreformigrationcontrol.com/airo-assets/uploads/research-pdfs/1789944912332-e2d35adf5328.pdf", "published": "2026-09-17", "note": "Overlaps with the non-EEA figure." }, { "id": "foi-non-eea-2025", "label": "Paid to households with at least one non-EEA national", "value": 6069, "unit": "£m", "period": "2025", "source": "DWP, FOI2026/83815", "url": "https://centreformigrationcontrol.com/airo-assets/uploads/research-pdfs/1789944912332-e2d35adf5328.pdf", "published": "2026-09-17", "note": "Overlaps with the EEA figure." }, { "id": "foi-march-2025-obrien", "label": "Universal Credit paid to households with a foreign national, March 2025, obtained separately by Neil O'Brien MP", "value": 941, "unit": "£m", "period": "March 2025", "source": "Neil O'Brien MP, cited by Full Fact", "url": "https://fullfact.org/politics/reform-uk-ilr-benefit-cost/", "published": "2025-10-03", "note": "The 2025 FOI gives £985 million for March 2025; DWP's method changed in between." } ], "byYear": [ { "year": "2023", "value": 7500, "source": "Reported by the Telegraph and the Centre for Migration Control (who give £7.6 billion); the primary DWP release was not found", "verified": false }, { "year": "2024", "value": 9533, "source": "Centre for Migration Control, from an earlier FOI using the same method", "verified": false }, { "year": "2025", "value": 11920, "source": "DWP, FOI2026/83815", "verified": true } ], "reportedAs": [ { "outlet": "The Telegraph (Charles Hymas)", "headline": "Migrant households receive record £12bn in universal credit", "date": "2026-09-20", "url": "https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/migrant-households-receive-record-12bn-173651978.html", "verified": true }, { "outlet": "PA Media", "headline": "Foreign national households received record £11.9bn in Universal Credit, figures show", "date": "2026-09-21", "url": "https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/news/foreign-national-households-received-record-11-9bn-in-universal-credit-figures-show-national-news-64443/", "verified": true } ] }, "rules": { "summary": [ "Most people who come to the UK on a temporary visa, for work, study or family, have a 'no recourse to public funds' condition: they cannot claim Universal Credit or most other means-tested benefits. People in the UK without permission cannot claim either.", "To claim Universal Credit a person must be British or Irish, have a right of abode, or hold an immigration status that allows access to public funds, and must pass the Habitual Residence Test and meet the benefit's other conditions. DWP puts it this way: it is immigration status, not nationality, that decides entitlement.", "The main groups who can claim are people with indefinite leave to remain, people with settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, refugees and people with humanitarian protection, people on some resettlement schemes such as those for Ukraine and Afghanistan, and some people with limited leave whose visa carries no such condition or has had it lifted.", "People with pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme qualify only if they also have a qualifying right to reside, for example as a worker.", "Contributory benefits and the State Pension are not 'public funds', so people with the condition can claim them if they have paid enough National Insurance." ], "sources": [ { "name": "Home Office, Public funds: caseworker guidance", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-funds--2/public-funds" }, { "name": "No recourse to public funds: guidance for local authorities (August 2026)", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/no-recourse-to-public-funds-guidance-for-local-authorities" } ], "table": [ { "status": "British, Irish or right of abode", "access": "Yes, if they meet the Habitual Residence Test and the other conditions" }, { "status": "Indefinite leave to remain (settlement)", "access": "Yes" }, { "status": "EU Settlement Scheme: settled status", "access": "Yes" }, { "status": "EU Settlement Scheme: pre-settled status", "access": "Only with a qualifying right to reside, for example as a worker" }, { "status": "Refugee or humanitarian protection", "access": "Yes" }, { "status": "Resettlement and humanitarian schemes, for example for Ukraine and Afghanistan", "access": "Yes" }, { "status": "Most work, study and family visas", "access": "No: a no recourse to public funds condition, unless the Home Office lifts it" }, { "status": "No permission to be in the UK", "access": "No" } ] }, "factChecks": [ { "title": "Reform corrects claim that 'rising' share of Universal Credit went to foreign nationals", "by": "Full Fact (Hannah Smith)", "date": "2026-08-21", "url": "https://fullfact.org/immigration/what-proportion-of-universal-credit-goes-to-non-british-citizens/", "claim": "Reform UK's Making Welfare Work document said DWP data showed the share of Universal Credit paid to foreign nationals rose to 15.5% in January 2026.", "finding": "Full Fact found that 15.5% was the share of people on Universal Credit without British, Irish or right-of-abode status, not a share of payments, and that this share had been falling since June 2024.", "outcome": "Reform UK changed 'rose to' to 'was'. Full Fact noted the wording still described a share of people as a share of payments." }, { "title": "Daily Mail corrects report about Reform UK's disputed immigration savings", "by": "Full Fact (Hannah Smith)", "date": "2025-10-03", "url": "https://fullfact.org/politics/reform-uk-ilr-benefit-cost/", "claim": "A report said scrapping indefinite leave to remain would save £234 billion that would be paid out in benefits.", "finding": "The £234 billion was an estimate of total lifetime net fiscal cost, not benefits, taken from a Centre for Policy Studies report whose authors later said the cost estimates should no longer be used.", "outcome": "The Daily Mail corrected its report." } ], "proposals": [ { "who": "Government (Home Office)", "title": "A Fairer Pathway to Settlement", "date": "2025-11-20", "what": "A consultation on doubling the usual qualifying period for settlement from 5 to 10 years, longer for some routes and for people who have claimed public funds, and on whether settled people should have no recourse to public funds until they become citizens.", "claimed": null, "status": "Consultation closed 13 February 2026. No response published by 24 September 2026, and the September 2026 immigration rule changes did not include it.", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/earned-settlement", "assessments": [ { "who": "Migration Observatory (Mihnea Cuibus)", "url": "https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/commentaries/changes-to-settlement-what-do-they-mean/", "text": "A longer and more difficult path to settlement may thus bring a trade-off between short-run benefits to public finances and longer-term effects.", "quote": true }, { "who": "Home Office analysis", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/estimated-lifetime-net-fiscal-costs-for-care-workers-and-their-adult-dependants", "text": "Estimates a net lifetime fiscal cost of about £9.5 billion for care workers and adult dependants expected to settle in 2026 to 2030. It does not cost the benefits proposal." } ] }, { "who": "Conservative Party", "title": "Benefits for British citizens; settlement after 10 years", "date": "2025-10-30", "what": "Settlement after 10 years rather than 5, only for people who have not claimed benefits, and benefits restricted to British citizens. Chris Philp said in September 2026 that the plan would stop foreign nationals claiming benefits unless they are qualifying EU citizens.", "claimed": null, "status": "Opposition policy.", "url": "https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/lam-badenoch-immigration-leave-to-remain/", "assessments": [ { "who": "No independent costing found", "url": "https://obr.uk/", "text": "The OBR does not cost opposition policies." } ] }, { "who": "Reform UK", "title": "Making Welfare Work", "date": "2026-08-17", "what": "Benefits restricted to British citizens, with limited exceptions such as the contributory State Pension, including people with EU settled status; indefinite leave to remain replaced by renewable visas.", "claimed": "£21 billion a year by 2029, as part of a plan to save £50 billion a year from welfare.", "status": "Opposition policy.", "url": "https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/17/britains-reform-uk-party-pledges-to-strip-all-foreign-nationals-of-benefits-including-eu-c", "assessments": [ { "who": "Institute for Fiscal Studies (Tom Waters)", "url": "https://ifs.org.uk/articles/reform-uks-plan-welfare-ifs-response", "text": "How much this saves would depend on how many of this group became citizens in response.", "quote": true }, { "who": "Full Fact", "url": "https://fullfact.org/immigration/what-proportion-of-universal-credit-goes-to-non-british-citizens/", "text": "Checked the plan's claim about the share of Universal Credit (see the fact checks above)." } ] }, { "who": "Reform UK", "title": "Abolish indefinite leave to remain", "date": "2025-09-22", "what": "Replace indefinite leave to remain with renewable five-year visas and restrict benefits to British citizens.", "claimed": "£234 billion (a lifetime net fiscal cost figure from the Centre for Policy Studies).", "status": "Opposition policy.", "url": "https://the3million.org.uk/news/2025-09-22/the3millions-statement-reforms-plan-to-scrap-indefinite-leave-to-remain", "assessments": [ { "who": "Centre for Policy Studies", "url": "https://cps.org.uk/media/post/2025/centre-for-policy-studies-issues-clarification-on-indefinite-leave-to-remain-statistics/", "text": "the overall cost estimates should no longer be used", "quote": true }, { "who": "Full Fact", "url": "https://fullfact.org/politics/reform-uk-ilr-benefit-cost/", "text": "Found the figure was a lifetime fiscal cost, not benefits (see the fact checks above)." } ] } ], "panels": [ { "question": "Should access to benefits for people without British citizenship be tightened further?", "a": { "heading": "Those who argue for tighter access", "views": [ { "who": "Robert Bates, Research Director", "org": "Centre for Migration Control", "date": "2026-09-20", "url": "https://centreformigrationcontrol.com/research/migrant-households-received-12bn-in-universal-credit-payments-in-2025", "quote": "These figures make a mockery of the suggestion that mass legal migration has been a boon for Britain's economy.", "verified": true }, { "who": "Chris Philp, Shadow Home Secretary", "org": "Conservative Party", "date": "2026-09-20", "url": "https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/migrant-households-receive-record-12bn-173651978.html", "quote": "British taxpayers should not be paying billions in benefits to foreigners", "verified": true }, { "who": "Robert Jenrick", "org": "Reform UK", "date": "2026-08-17", "url": "https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/17/britains-reform-uk-party-pledges-to-strip-all-foreign-nationals-of-benefits-including-eu-c", "quote": "No British citizenship. No entitlement.", "verified": true }, { "who": "Migration Watch UK", "org": "Migration Watch UK", "date": "2026-06-26", "url": "https://www.migrationwatchuk.org/the-ever-changing-burnham-mindset-or-just-the-same-old-burnham/", "paraphrase": "Describes the plan to double the qualifying period for settlement as a sensible step.", "verified": true } ] }, "b": { "heading": "Those who argue against tighter access", "views": [ { "who": "Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, with more than 150 organisations", "org": "JCWI", "date": "2026-01-27", "url": "https://jcwi.org.uk/updates/statement-90-rights-groups-reject-racist-classist-earned-settlement-proposals/", "quote": "everyone should have the right to access basic services like public healthcare, housing and support", "verified": true }, { "who": "the3million", "org": "the3million (EU citizens' group)", "date": "2025-09-22", "url": "https://the3million.org.uk/news/2025-09-22/the3millions-statement-reforms-plan-to-scrap-indefinite-leave-to-remain", "quote": "Migrant workers are less likely to need welfare support than British citizens", "verified": true }, { "who": "Government spokesperson", "org": "HM Government", "date": "2026-09-20", "url": "https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/migrant-households-receive-record-12bn-173651978.html", "quote": "Only people who are in the UK legally can claim taxpayer-funded benefits, of which around half are in work.", "verified": true }, { "who": "House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee", "org": "House of Lords", "date": "2026-06-23", "url": "https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5902/ldselect/ldjusthom/13/13.pdf", "paraphrase": "Opposed applying longer settlement periods to people already in the UK.", "verified": false } ] } } ] }, "notes": [ "People counts are DWP statistics in development: everyone on Universal Credit in the reference month (the second Thursday), by the latest immigration status DWP holds for them. Figures are rounded and perturbed for disclosure control; the latest three months are provisional.", "Immigration status decides entitlement, not nationality. \"British, Irish or right of abode\" is DWP's Common Travel Area (CTA) group; everyone else has a status that allows them to claim.", "The FOI spending figures count whole household awards where at least one person is not a CTA national. They are not official statistics and are a different measure from the share of people.", "People with indefinite leave to remain who later became British citizens without telling DWP are still counted under indefinite leave to remain." ] }