# Universal Credit and immigration status: the figures and what they mean

url: https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/universal-credit-and-immigration-status/
updated: 29 September 2026
licence: Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Figures: each source's own licence, listed under Sources.
publisher: [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk)

# Universal Credit and immigration status: the figures and what they mean



Last updated 29 September 2026.
Figures refresh every night. [How each figure is worked out](/methodology/).





In May 2026, **1,294,077** of the 8,359,742 people on Universal Credit (**15.5%**) did not have British, Irish or right-of-abode status, on DWP’s statistics; 15.2% leaving out people with no status recorded. The share was between 17.3% and 17.6% from July 2022 to August 2024, and has fallen since, while the number of people rose. Separately, DWP figures released under Freedom of Information put Universal Credit paid in 2025 to households containing at least one non-British, non-Irish national at **£11.9bn**, 15.6% of Universal Credit payments. That counts whole household awards: it is not money paid to foreign nationals.



Figure as of 18 August 2026. Source:
[Department for Work and Pensions](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a82c17492ec93e1e0329a46/uc-immigration-status-nationality-statistics-to-may-2026.ods), [Department for Work and Pensions](https://centreformigrationcontrol.com/airo-assets/uploads/research-pdfs/1789944912332-e2d35adf5328.pdf).





## Key figures



- 1,294,077People on UC without British, Irish or right-of-abode status, May 2026


As of 18 August 2026
- 15.5%Share of everyone on Universal Credit

Up to 17.6% between July 2022 and August 2024
As of 18 August 2026
- 49.3%Of them in work, April 2026

Against 35.6% of British, Irish and right-of-abode claimants
As of 18 August 2026
- £11.9bnPaid in 2025 to households with at least one non-British, non-Irish national (FOI, not official statistics)


As of 17 September 2026




Source: [Department for Work and Pensions](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a82c17492ec93e1e0329a46/uc-immigration-status-nationality-statistics-to-may-2026.ods).






## The definitions, first



- **Two different measures.** DWP’s statistics count *people* on Universal Credit by their immigration status. The Freedom of Information figures measure *money* paid to *households*. They have moved differently and should not be compared as if they measured the same thing.

- **Households, not individuals.** Universal Credit is paid to a household. The FOI figures count the whole award to any household where at least one person is not a British, Irish or other Common Travel Area national. They are not payments to foreign nationals.

- **A household counts if any member qualifies.** A couple with one British and one non-British partner counts in full.

- **Status decides entitlement, not nationality.** Most people on temporary visas have "no recourse to public funds" and cannot claim Universal Credit at all. Those who can are mainly people with settled status, refugees and people on humanitarian schemes.

- **Not official statistics.** DWP says the FOI figures are not official statistics; its immigration status tables are official statistics in development.






## People on Universal Credit by immigration status




**Share of people on Universal Credit without British, Irish or right-of-abode status, %**








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.




**The numbers behind this chart**



Search




| Year | All other statuses | Leaving out no status recorded |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2022-04Details | 16.8% | 16.1% |
| Leaving out no status recorded16.1% | | |
| 2022-05Details | 16.9% | 16.2% |
| Leaving out no status recorded16.2% | | |
| 2022-06Details | 17.1% | 16.4% |
| Leaving out no status recorded16.4% | | |
| 2022-07Details | 17.3% | 16.6% |
| Leaving out no status recorded16.6% | | |
| 2022-08Details | 17.4% | 16.7% |
| Leaving out no status recorded16.7% | | |
| 2022-09Details | 17.4% | 16.8% |
| Leaving out no status recorded16.8% | | |
| 2022-10Details | 17.4% | 16.8% |
| Leaving out no status recorded16.8% | | |
| 2022-11Details | 17.5% | 16.9% |
| Leaving out no status recorded16.9% | | |
| 2022-12Details | 17.5% | 16.9% |
| Leaving out no status recorded16.9% | | |
| 2023-01Details | 17.5% | 17.0% |
| Leaving out no status recorded17.0% | | |
| 2023-02Details | 17.5% | 17.0% |
| Leaving out no status recorded17.0% | | |
| 2023-03Details | 17.5% | 17.0% |
| Leaving out no status recorded17.0% | | |
| 2023-04Details | 17.6% | 17.1% |
| Leaving out no status recorded17.1% | | |
| 2023-05Details | 17.6% | 17.0% |
| Leaving out no status recorded17.0% | | |
| 2023-06Details | 17.6% | 17.1% |
| Leaving out no status recorded17.1% | | |
| 2023-07Details | 17.6% | 17.1% |
| Leaving out no status recorded17.1% | | |
| 2023-08Details | 17.5% | 17.1% |
| Leaving out no status recorded17.1% | | |
| 2023-09Details | 17.5% | 17.1% |
| Leaving out no status recorded17.1% | | |
| 2023-10Details | 17.4% | 17.0% |
| Leaving out no status recorded17.0% | | |
| 2023-11Details | 17.5% | 17.1% |
| Leaving out no status recorded17.1% | | |
| 2023-12Details | 17.5% | 17.1% |
| Leaving out no status recorded17.1% | | |
| 2024-01Details | 17.5% | 17.1% |
| Leaving out no status recorded17.1% | | |
| 2024-02Details | 17.4% | 17.1% |
| Leaving out no status recorded17.1% | | |
| 2024-03Details | 17.4% | 17.0% |
| Leaving out no status recorded17.0% | | |
| 2024-04Details | 17.3% | 17.0% |
| Leaving out no status recorded17.0% | | |
| 2024-05Details | 17.4% | 17.0% |
| Leaving out no status recorded17.0% | | |
| 2024-06Details | 17.5% | 17.0% |
| Leaving out no status recorded17.0% | | |
| 2024-07Details | 17.4% | 17.0% |
| Leaving out no status recorded17.0% | | |
| 2024-08Details | 17.3% | 16.9% |
| Leaving out no status recorded16.9% | | |
| 2024-09Details | 17.2% | 16.7% |
| Leaving out no status recorded16.7% | | |
| 2024-10Details | 17.1% | 16.7% |
| Leaving out no status recorded16.7% | | |
| 2024-11Details | 17.1% | 16.6% |
| Leaving out no status recorded16.6% | | |
| 2024-12Details | 17.0% | 16.6% |
| Leaving out no status recorded16.6% | | |
| 2025-01Details | 16.9% | 16.6% |
| Leaving out no status recorded16.6% | | |
| 2025-02Details | 16.8% | 16.5% |
| Leaving out no status recorded16.5% | | |
| 2025-03Details | 16.8% | 16.4% |
| Leaving out no status recorded16.4% | | |
| 2025-04Details | 16.7% | 16.3% |
| Leaving out no status recorded16.3% | | |
| 2025-05Details | 16.5% | 16.2% |
| Leaving out no status recorded16.2% | | |
| 2025-06Details | 16.4% | 16.0% |
| Leaving out no status recorded16.0% | | |
| 2025-07Details | 16.2% | 15.9% |
| Leaving out no status recorded15.9% | | |
| 2025-08Details | 16.0% | 15.7% |
| Leaving out no status recorded15.7% | | |
| 2025-09Details | 15.8% | 15.5% |
| Leaving out no status recorded15.5% | | |
| 2025-10Details | 15.7% | 15.4% |
| Leaving out no status recorded15.4% | | |
| 2025-11Details | 15.5% | 15.3% |
| Leaving out no status recorded15.3% | | |
| 2025-12Details | 15.5% | 15.2% |
| Leaving out no status recorded15.2% | | |
| 2026-01Details | 15.5% | 15.2% |
| Leaving out no status recorded15.2% | | |
| 2026-02Details | 15.5% | 15.2% |
| Leaving out no status recorded15.2% | | |
| 2026-03Details | 15.5% | 15.2% |
| Leaving out no status recorded15.2% | | |
| 2026-04Details | 15.5% | 15.2% |
| Leaving out no status recorded15.2% | | |
| 2026-05Details | 15.5% | 15.2% |
| Leaving out no status recorded15.2% | | |











Figure as of 18 August 2026. Source:
[Department for Work and Pensions](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a82c17492ec93e1e0329a46/uc-immigration-status-nationality-statistics-to-may-2026.ods).





**People on Universal Credit without British, Irish or right-of-abode status, and everyone on it (millions)**








The number of people rose while the share fell, because the whole caseload grew faster, partly as people moved onto Universal Credit from older benefits.




**The numbers behind this chart**



Search




| Year | Everyone on Universal Credit | Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2022-04Details | 5.55m | 0.93m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status0.93m | | |
| 2022-05Details | 5.54m | 0.94m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status0.94m | | |
| 2022-06Details | 5.56m | 0.95m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status0.95m | | |
| 2022-07Details | 5.62m | 0.97m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status0.97m | | |
| 2022-08Details | 5.66m | 0.98m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status0.98m | | |
| 2022-09Details | 5.68m | 0.99m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status0.99m | | |
| 2022-10Details | 5.73m | 1.00m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.00m | | |
| 2022-11Details | 5.76m | 1.01m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.01m | | |
| 2022-12Details | 5.78m | 1.01m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.01m | | |
| 2023-01Details | 5.80m | 1.01m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.01m | | |
| 2023-02Details | 5.84m | 1.02m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.02m | | |
| 2023-03Details | 5.85m | 1.03m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.03m | | |
| 2023-04Details | 5.90m | 1.04m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.04m | | |
| 2023-05Details | 5.93m | 1.04m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.04m | | |
| 2023-06Details | 5.97m | 1.05m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.05m | | |
| 2023-07Details | 6.01m | 1.06m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.06m | | |
| 2023-08Details | 6.04m | 1.06m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.06m | | |
| 2023-09Details | 6.10m | 1.06m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.06m | | |
| 2023-10Details | 6.16m | 1.07m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.07m | | |
| 2023-11Details | 6.22m | 1.09m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.09m | | |
| 2023-12Details | 6.31m | 1.10m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.10m | | |
| 2024-01Details | 6.36m | 1.11m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.11m | | |
| 2024-02Details | 6.46m | 1.13m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.13m | | |
| 2024-03Details | 6.60m | 1.15m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.15m | | |
| 2024-04Details | 6.68m | 1.16m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.16m | | |
| 2024-05Details | 6.76m | 1.17m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.17m | | |
| 2024-06Details | 6.84m | 1.20m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.20m | | |
| 2024-07Details | 6.90m | 1.20m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.20m | | |
| 2024-08Details | 6.97m | 1.21m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.21m | | |
| 2024-09Details | 7.08m | 1.22m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.22m | | |
| 2024-10Details | 7.16m | 1.23m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.23m | | |
| 2024-11Details | 7.28m | 1.24m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.24m | | |
| 2024-12Details | 7.36m | 1.25m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.25m | | |
| 2025-01Details | 7.39m | 1.25m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.25m | | |
| 2025-02Details | 7.52m | 1.26m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.26m | | |
| 2025-03Details | 7.60m | 1.27m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.27m | | |
| 2025-04Details | 7.68m | 1.28m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.28m | | |
| 2025-05Details | 7.74m | 1.28m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.28m | | |
| 2025-06Details | 7.85m | 1.28m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.28m | | |
| 2025-07Details | 7.93m | 1.28m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.28m | | |
| 2025-08Details | 8.04m | 1.28m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.28m | | |
| 2025-09Details | 8.12m | 1.28m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.28m | | |
| 2025-10Details | 8.21m | 1.29m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.29m | | |
| 2025-11Details | 8.30m | 1.29m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.29m | | |
| 2025-12Details | 8.34m | 1.29m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.29m | | |
| 2026-01Details | 8.32m | 1.29m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.29m | | |
| 2026-02Details | 8.34m | 1.29m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.29m | | |
| 2026-03Details | 8.29m | 1.28m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.28m | | |
| 2026-04Details | 8.32m | 1.29m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.29m | | |
| 2026-05Details | 8.36m | 1.29m |
| Without British, Irish or right-of-abode status1.29m | | |











Figure as of 18 August 2026. Source:
[Department for Work and Pensions](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a82c17492ec93e1e0329a46/uc-immigration-status-nationality-statistics-to-may-2026.ods).





**People on Universal Credit by immigration status, May 2026**



- 1. British, Irish or right of abode

7,065,665 84.5%
- 2. EU Settlement Scheme (settled or pre-settled)

744,679 8.9%
- 3. Indefinite leave to remain

233,217 2.8%
- 4. Refugee

130,618 1.6%
- 5. Limited leave to remain, including family reunion

75,512 0.9%
- 6. Humanitarian schemes (for example Ukraine, Afghanistan, Hong Kong BN(O))

52,499 0.6%
- 7. Other

34,209 0.4%
- 8. No immigration status recorded

23,343 0.3%







**Show as a table**





| Name | People |
| --- | --- |
| 1. British, Irish or right of abode | 7,065,665 |
| 2. EU Settlement Scheme (settled or pre-settled) | 744,679 |
| 3. Indefinite leave to remain | 233,217 |
| 4. Refugee | 130,618 |
| 5. Limited leave to remain, including family reunion | 75,512 |
| 6. Humanitarian schemes (for example Ukraine, Afghanistan, Hong Kong BN(O)) | 52,499 |
| 7. Other | 34,209 |
| 8. No immigration status recorded | 23,343 |






Figure as of 18 August 2026. Source:
[Department for Work and Pensions](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a82c17492ec93e1e0329a46/uc-immigration-status-nationality-statistics-to-may-2026.ods).




Source: Department for Work and Pensions, [Universal Credit quarterly statistics, 29 April 2013 to 14 May 2026: immigration status and nationality tables](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a82c17492ec93e1e0329a46/uc-immigration-status-nationality-statistics-to-may-2026.ods), published 18 August 2026.





## How many are in work



DWP’s tables also show whether each person had earnings from a job or self-employment in the month. In
April 2026, 49.3% of people on Universal Credit without British, Irish
or right-of-abode status were in work (634,761), against 35.6%
of British, Irish and right-of-abode claimants; 652,419 were not in work.




**Share of people on Universal Credit in work, by immigration status, April 2026**



- 1. EU Settlement Scheme (settled or pre-settled)

57.4%
- 2. Humanitarian schemes (for example Ukraine, Afghanistan, Hong Kong BN(O))

52.4%
- 3. No immigration status recorded

44.7%
- 4. Other

39.6%
- 5. Indefinite leave to remain

39.5%
- 6. Limited leave to remain, including family reunion

36.9%
- ◆7. British, Irish or right of abode

35.6%
- 8. Refugee

29.9%




◆ British, Irish or right of abode





**Show as a table**





| Name | In work |
| --- | --- |
| 1. EU Settlement Scheme (settled or pre-settled) | 57.4% |
| 2. Humanitarian schemes (for example Ukraine, Afghanistan, Hong Kong BN(O)) | 52.4% |
| 3. No immigration status recorded | 44.7% |
| 4. Other | 39.6% |
| 5. Indefinite leave to remain | 39.5% |
| 6. Limited leave to remain, including family reunion | 36.9% |
| 7. British, Irish or right of abode (British, Irish or right of abode) | 35.6% |
| 8. Refugee | 29.9% |






Figure as of 18 August 2026. Source:
[Department for Work and Pensions](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a82c17492ec93e1e0329a46/uc-immigration-status-nationality-statistics-to-may-2026.ods).






## The Freedom of Information figures on spending



DWP answered a Freedom of Information request from the Centre for Migration Control (reference
FOI2026/83815, 17 September 2026). The Centre published the reply in full; it was reported by
[The Telegraph (Charles Hymas)](https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/migrant-households-receive-record-12bn-173651978.html) and [PA Media](https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/news/foreign-national-households-received-record-11-9bn-in-universal-credit-figures-show-national-news-64443/). DWP’s own 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.






| Measure | Amount | Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Universal Credit paid to households with at least one non-British, non-Irish nationalDetails | £11.9bn | |
| | | |
| Share of all Universal Credit payments, calculated the same wayDetails | 15.6% | 16.3% in January 2025, 15.0% in December 2025. |
| Note16.3% in January 2025, 15.0% in December 2025. | | |
| Paid to those households where at least one person was recorded as not in workDetails | £7.7bn | 64.3% of the total. Overlaps with the in-work figure. |
| Note64.3% of the total. Overlaps with the in-work figure. | | |
| Paid to those households where at least one person was recorded as in workDetails | £5.8bn | Overlaps with the not-in-work figure. |
| NoteOverlaps with the not-in-work figure. | | |
| Paid to households with at least one EEA nationalDetails | £6.6bn | Overlaps with the non-EEA figure. |
| NoteOverlaps with the non-EEA figure. | | |
| Paid to households with at least one non-EEA nationalDetails | £6.1bn | Overlaps with the EEA figure. |
| NoteOverlaps with the EEA figure. | | |





The earlier years often quoted alongside it (£7.5bn in 2023 and £9.5bn in 2024) come from
earlier requests whose DWP replies this site has not seen, so they are not charted here. The "about
£7.7 billion to households not in work" in some reports is the not-in-work row above, which overlaps with
the in-work row: it is money paid to households where at least one person was not in work.



Source: DWP reply FOI2026/83815, [reproduced by the Centre for Migration Control](https://centreformigrationcontrol.com/airo-assets/uploads/research-pdfs/1789944912332-e2d35adf5328.pdf). Not official statistics.





## Who can claim





| Status | Can claim Universal Credit? |
| --- | --- |
| British, Irish or right of abode | Yes, if they meet the Habitual Residence Test and the other conditions |
| Indefinite leave to remain (settlement) | Yes |
| EU Settlement Scheme: settled status | Yes |
| EU Settlement Scheme: pre-settled status | Only with a qualifying right to reside, for example as a worker |
| Refugee or humanitarian protection | Yes |
| Resettlement and humanitarian schemes, for example for Ukraine and Afghanistan | Yes |
| Most work, study and family visas | No: a no recourse to public funds condition, unless the Home Office lifts it |
| No permission to be in the UK | No |





- 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: [Home Office, Public funds: caseworker guidance](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-funds--2/public-funds); [No recourse to public funds: guidance for local authorities (August 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/no-recourse-to-public-funds-guidance-for-local-authorities).





## Claims that have been checked




Fact checks and corrections



- [Reform corrects claim that 'rising' share of Universal Credit went to foreign nationals](https://fullfact.org/immigration/what-proportion-of-universal-credit-goes-to-non-british-citizens/)
ByFull Fact (Hannah Smith)Date21 Aug 2026
Outcome **Reform UK changed 'rose to' to 'was'. Full Fact noted the wording still described a share of people as a share of payments.**




**Details**


What was claimedReform 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.What was foundFull 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.
- [Daily Mail corrects report about Reform UK's disputed immigration savings](https://fullfact.org/politics/reform-uk-ilr-benefit-cost/)
ByFull Fact (Hannah Smith)Date3 Oct 2025
Outcome **The Daily Mail corrected its report.**




**Details**


What was claimedA report said scrapping indefinite leave to remain would save £234 billion that would be paid out in benefits.What was foundThe £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.






## Announced and proposed changes




Proposals on settlement and access to benefits, with claimed savings and independent assessments


Party

Every party
Government (Home Office)Conservative PartyReform UK
Year

Any year
20262025

Sort

As listedNewest firstOldest firstLargest claimed saving first




- [A Fairer Pathway to Settlement](https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/earned-settlement)
PartyGovernment (Home Office)Date20 Nov 2025
Claimed saving **None stated**




**Details**


What it would doA 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.Where it standsConsultation closed 13 February 2026. No response published by 24 September 2026, and the September 2026 immigration rule changes did not include it.Independent assessments**Migration Observatory (Mihnea Cuibus):** 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. ([source](https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/commentaries/changes-to-settlement-what-do-they-mean/))**Home Office analysis:** 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. ([source](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/estimated-lifetime-net-fiscal-costs-for-care-workers-and-their-adult-dependants))
- [Benefits for British citizens; settlement after 10 years](https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/lam-badenoch-immigration-leave-to-remain/)
PartyConservative PartyDate30 Oct 2025
Claimed saving **None stated**




**Details**


What it would doSettlement 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.Where it standsOpposition policy.Independent assessments**No independent costing found:** The OBR does not cost opposition policies. ([source](https://obr.uk/))
- [Making Welfare Work](https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/17/britains-reform-uk-party-pledges-to-strip-all-foreign-nationals-of-benefits-including-eu-c)
PartyReform UKDate17 Aug 2026
Claimed saving **£21 billion a year by 2029, as part of a plan to save £50 billion a year from welfare.**




**Details**


What it would doBenefits 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.Where it standsOpposition policy.Independent assessments**Institute for Fiscal Studies (Tom Waters):** How much this saves would depend on how many of this group became citizens in response. ([source](https://ifs.org.uk/articles/reform-uks-plan-welfare-ifs-response))**Full Fact:** Checked the plan's claim about the share of Universal Credit (see the fact checks above). ([source](https://fullfact.org/immigration/what-proportion-of-universal-credit-goes-to-non-british-citizens/))
- [Abolish indefinite leave to remain](https://the3million.org.uk/news/2025-09-22/the3millions-statement-reforms-plan-to-scrap-indefinite-leave-to-remain)
PartyReform UKDate22 Sept 2025
Claimed saving **£234 billion (a lifetime net fiscal cost figure from the Centre for Policy Studies).**




**Details**


What it would doReplace indefinite leave to remain with renewable five-year visas and restrict benefits to British citizens.Where it standsOpposition policy.Independent assessments**Centre for Policy Studies:** the overall cost estimates should no longer be used ([source](https://cps.org.uk/media/post/2025/centre-for-policy-studies-issues-clarification-on-indefinite-leave-to-remain-statistics/))**Full Fact:** Found the figure was a lifetime fiscal cost, not benefits (see the fact checks above). ([source](https://fullfact.org/politics/reform-uk-ilr-benefit-cost/))






## What each side says




### Should access to benefits for people without British citizenship be tightened further?





### Those who argue for tighter access



- These figures make a mockery of the suggestion that mass legal migration has been a boon for Britain's economy. Robert Bates, Research Director, Centre for Migration Control ([20 September 2026](https://centreformigrationcontrol.com/research/migrant-households-received-12bn-in-universal-credit-payments-in-2025))
- British taxpayers should not be paying billions in benefits to foreigners Chris Philp, Shadow Home Secretary, Conservative Party ([20 September 2026](https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/migrant-households-receive-record-12bn-173651978.html))
- No British citizenship. No entitlement. Robert Jenrick, Reform UK ([17 August 2026](https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/17/britains-reform-uk-party-pledges-to-strip-all-foreign-nationals-of-benefits-including-eu-c))
- Migration Watch UK ([26 June 2026](https://www.migrationwatchuk.org/the-ever-changing-burnham-mindset-or-just-the-same-old-burnham/)): Describes the plan to double the qualifying period for settlement as a sensible step.





### Those who argue against tighter access



- everyone should have the right to access basic services like public healthcare, housing and support Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, with more than 150 organisations, JCWI ([27 January 2026](https://jcwi.org.uk/updates/statement-90-rights-groups-reject-racist-classist-earned-settlement-proposals/))
- Migrant workers are less likely to need welfare support than British citizens the3million, the3million (EU citizens' group) ([22 September 2025](https://the3million.org.uk/news/2025-09-22/the3millions-statement-reforms-plan-to-scrap-indefinite-leave-to-remain))
- Only people who are in the UK legally can claim taxpayer-funded benefits, of which around half are in work. Government spokesperson, HM Government ([20 September 2026](https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/migrant-households-receive-record-12bn-173651978.html))






Views are attributed to the people and organisations named, with the date and a link to where they said it. This site takes no side.






## What these figures do and don't show



- People counts are a snapshot each month by the latest immigration status DWP holds. People with indefinite leave to remain who became British citizens without telling DWP are still counted under indefinite leave.
- The share of people and the share of spending are different measures. Households with non-British members may be larger or smaller, and receive more or less, than average.
- The FOI figures count whole household awards; the in-work and not-in-work groups overlap, as do the EEA and non-EEA groups.
- Settled and pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme are not separated in DWP’s tables.
- Figures cover Great Britain.






## Sources for this page





| Source | Publisher | Figures as of | Updated | Licence |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Universal Credit quarterly statistics, 29 April 2013 to 14 May 2026: immigration status and nationality tables](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a82c17492ec93e1e0329a46/uc-immigration-status-nationality-statistics-to-may-2026.ods) | Department for Work and Pensions | 18 August 2026 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |
| [DWP Freedom of Information response FOI2026/83815: Universal Credit paid to households with at least one non-CTA national, 2025](https://centreformigrationcontrol.com/airo-assets/uploads/research-pdfs/1789944912332-e2d35adf5328.pdf) | Department for Work and Pensions | 17 September 2026 | annual | [Quoted with attribution (the publisher’s own terms)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/48/section/30) link only |





Each source's figures are used under the licence shown. Our own words, analysis, charts and derived calculations
are ours, under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Published by [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). The figures belong to the publishers listed under Sources and are used under their licences. Figures last updated 29 September 2026.