The Conservative Party has proposed a benefits "ban" for non-British citizens, potentially affecting 1.5 million Universal Credit claimants, as revealed by Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) data. The data shows that nearly one in six Universal Credit claimants is not a British citizen, sparking criticism from the Tories against the Labour government.
Key Statistics
According to DWP figures, 1,497,774 migrants received Universal Credit during the 12 months to December 2025, accounting for 15.6% of the total 9.6 million claimants. Of these, over 200,000 were refugees or granted humanitarian protection, with the majority arriving through the European settlement scheme.
Conservative Response
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp stated: "The Conservatives would ban all benefits claims by immigrants, except EU citizens with permanent settlement. Foreigners who come here should make a contribution and not take benefits funded by hard-working taxpayers." He added that Labour's "benefits bonanza has to end."
Robert Bates, research director at CMC, warned: "Last year, taxpayers supported 1.5 million economically dependent foreign individuals. This country is becoming the food bank of the world at a time when British people see a decline in their quality of life." He urged the Home Secretary to act to prevent a "full-blown fiscal crisis."
Government Position
A DWP spokesman responded: "The proportion of Universal Credit claimants who are foreign nationals has fallen in the past year, and we will double the time that migrants must live in the country before they qualify for any public funds. These reforms will ensure those who seek to live here permanently contribute to our country first."
