Migrant Universal Credit claims in the U.K. surge to 1.26 million

By lauraharris // 2025-07-20

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New DWP data shows a 40 percent rise in migrant Universal Credit (UC) claimants since 2022, with over 1.26 million non-British nationals now receiving support, including large numbers of EU nationals, refugees and ILR holders.
Only migrants with specific statuses, such as settled status, refugee status or humanitarian protection, are eligible for UC. Those with "no recourse to public funds" (NRPF) remain ineligible unless their status changes.
Of the migrant UC recipients, over 510,000 are in work but rely on UC to top up low earnings, while more than 730,000 are unemployed.
Senior Tories, including Chris Philp and Neil O'Brien, accused the Labour government of losing control of the welfare system and immigration policy, calling the figures "staggering" and demanding UC be limited to UK citizens.
Think tanks and campaigners urged sweeping changes, including scrapping Indefinite Leave to Remain. Critics argue the system is becoming unsustainable and unfair to British taxpayers amid a broader cost-of-living crisis.

New figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have revealed that more than 1.26 million migrants are now claiming Universal Credit (UC) in the United Kingdom. UC, introduced to simplify the benefits system, is intended to support those out of work or earning below a certain threshold. Under current rules, migrants must meet strict eligibility requirements to claim UC, including having settled status, refugee status or humanitarian protection. Those with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), a condition applied to many visa holders, are not entitled to claim unless their status changes. (Related: UK government now wants Britons to house non-Ukrainian refugees.) However, the growing number of eligible migrants relying on the benefit has intensified scrutiny over the long-term affordability of the policy and its impact on the U.K.'s welfare infrastructure. According to the DWP report, more than 1.26 million migrants are now claiming UC in the U.K., marking a sharp increase of over 40 percent in just two years. In 2022, 883,470 non-British nationals were receiving the benefit. That figure has soared to 1,263,881 in 2024, prompting renewed debate about the interaction between immigration and the welfare state amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis in the United Kingdom. The data shows that European Union (EU) nationals make up the largest share of migrant UC recipients, accounting for 770,379 of the total. Another 211,090 are non-EU nationals who hold Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), while 118,749 are refugees. Additional groups include 54,156 humanitarian visa holders, 75,267 people on time-limited visas and 33,240 individuals listed under an "other" category. Of the total migrant claimants, 737,799 are unemployed, while 510,970 are in work but use UC to supplement low earnings. For comparison, 6.6 million British citizens are currently receiving UC, including 4.3 million who are not in employment. Like their migrant counterparts, the remaining 2.3 million British recipients rely on UC to top up low wages.

Tories slam Labour as migrant benefits surge past one million

The figures have triggered calls for greater transparency and reform. Senior Conservatives have launched a fierce political attack on the Labour government, accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer of losing control of both the welfare system and immigration policy. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp described the figures as "staggering," saying they prove that Labour's approach to welfare and immigration is "unsustainable." "Universal Credit should be reserved for U.K. citizens only," Philp said. "This is about fairness, responsibility and protecting support for those who’ve contributed to this country. British taxpayers should not be working hard to subsidize immigrants, many of whom have only recently arrived." Philp urged the Prime Minister to "stop the drift" and prioritize British citizens' access to welfare benefits, claiming that the current system "continues to fund an unsustainable open-door policy." Conservative MP Neil O'Brien added to the criticism, claiming the government is "importing large numbers of people who will be a burden on taxpayers." "Politicians claim that immigration is going to bring the best and brightest here, but we can see from that stats that's not true, and we are importing large numbers of people who will be a burden on taxpayers. This is madness and damaging our living standards. There is no sign Starmer will fix this," O'Brien said. Meanwhile, Rob Bates of the Centre for Migration Control called for major reform, including scrapping ILR, a status held by more than 200,000 of the current UC recipients. "Over one million migrants are claiming benefits in Britain. An unsustainable situation which lays bare the very real consequences that mass migration has inflicted on the British public. Indefinite Leave to Remain must be scrapped if we are to have any hope of turning the tide," Bates said. John O'Connell, the chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, echoed the warning, saying the figures "should send a shiver down the spine of government ministers." "Britain is sleepwalking into a culture of worklessness, with millions of Brits effectively dumped onto the welfare pile, all the while the system appears as a treasure chest for foreign nationals," O'Connell said. Follow Migrants.news for more stories about illegal immigrants. Watch this video about pro-immigrant leftist coalitions winning elections in the United Kingdom and France.

This video is from the Paul Davis UnCancelled channel on Brighteon.com.

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Tories slam Labour as migrant benefits surge past one million

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