The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued a staggering 200,000 sanctions against migrants claiming Universal Credit in a major crackdown on benefit rule breaches, according to new figures.
Scale of the Sanctions Drive
Data covering the period from January 2023 to April 2025 reveals the DWP handed out 198,771 'adverse sanctions' to migrants on Universal Credit. This equates to an average of more than 200 sanctions every single day, or over 1,600 each week.
During this same timeframe, the total number of sanctions issued to all claimants reached 1,356,226. This means migrants, who must meet specific eligibility criteria to claim, accounted for 14.6 per cent of all penalties.
Understanding the 'Claimant Commitment'
All individuals receiving Universal Credit while out of work must agree to a 'claimant commitment' with the DWP. This legally binding agreement sets out specific actions they must take to receive their benefit payments.
The requirements can include:
- Actively searching and applying for jobs.
- Keeping an up-to-date CV on the official portal.
- Attending all scheduled appointments with a work coach.
A sanction is applied when a claimant fails to demonstrate they are meeting these agreed terms, which can result in their benefit payment being reduced or stopped for a set period.
Political Reaction and Calls for Reform
The figures have ignited a fierce political debate about the welfare system and migration. Lee Anderson, Reform UK's welfare spokesman, stated the data proves many are coming to the UK "for a payday" by claiming benefits without following the rules.
"Hard-working British taxpayers should not be footing the bill for those who weren't born here," Anderson said. He argued that only Reform UK has a plan to overhaul benefits, cut the £342bn welfare bill, and get people into work.
Robert Bates, Research Director at the Centre for Migration Control (CMC), echoed strong sentiments. He called it "hugely insulting" that so many benefit-claiming migrants had refused to comply with what he described as "a relatively modest set of work requirements."
Bates went further, advocating for a radical policy shift: "It is time to end the madness, and end foreign nationals’ access to the British welfare state, by scrapping Indefinite Leave to Remain."
The scale of the DWP's enforcement action highlights the government's intensified focus on conditioning benefit receipt to strict labour market participation, with migrant claimants facing significant scrutiny under this regime.
