Reform UK has announced plans to bar foreign nationals from claiming almost all Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits if the party wins the next general election. However, two benefits will be exempt from the crackdown: War Widows Pension and Armed Forces compensation.
The party, led by Nigel Farage, said it would remove entitlements to Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Pension Credit, Jobseeker's Allowance, Child Benefit, free childcare, and disability benefits for foreign nationals. The exemptions are designed to "protect the entitlements of those who have served in Britain’s armed forces or built up a life of contributions."
Political Reactions to the Proposal
Robert Jenrick, a prominent figure in the Conservative Party, criticised the proposal from a different angle. He said: "Forcing British workers to pay for the benefits of foreigners is not just economically illiterate but plain immoral." He added: "People are more than happy to support their neighbours in hard times, but the British taxpayer cannot afford to subsidise everyone on the planet, especially those who have not paid in."
Conservative MP Helen Whately, the shadow work and pensions secretary, responded to Reform UK's announcement, saying: "Reform UK have spent months flip-flopping on the two-child cap and now they’ve rushed out a cobbled-together announcement which is already unravelling. Their proposals will drag Britain back into Brexit battles with no certainty of success."
Labour's Response and Existing Rules
A Labour spokesperson also hit out at the plans, stating they would "mean ripping up the UK’s Withdrawal Agreement with the EU, plunging the UK back into years of Brexit renegotiations, and stripping support from potentially millions of people who have lawfully lived, worked, and paid taxes in Britain for years, and in many cases decades." The spokesperson emphasised that this includes "people with settled status who are part of our communities, raising families, working, and contributing to our economy."
The Labour spokesperson added that the "vast majority" of migrants have no access to the welfare system at all under existing rules, while ministers are currently tightening the rules. The proposal from Reform UK would represent a significant shift in policy, affecting potentially millions of people who have legally resided and worked in the UK.
The announcement comes amid ongoing debates about immigration and welfare, with political parties positioning themselves ahead of the next election. The impact of such a policy, if implemented, would be far-reaching, affecting not only foreign nationals but also the broader social and economic fabric of the country.
