Migrant eligibility for Universal Credit payments surges
A migrant becomes eligible for Universal Credit payments every 43 seconds, according to new statistics. The number of foreign nationals entitled to claim benefits has nearly doubled over the past two years, reaching 734,200 in the year ending September 2025, reports BritPanorama.
This figure translates to an increase of just over 14,000 people, or approximately 2,000 a day. The significant rise in entitlement has sparked criticism from various quarters, with detractors arguing that it is unacceptable for British taxpayers to bear the financial burden of increased benefits for migrants.
Robert Bates, Research Director at the Centre for Migration Control (CMC), labelled the situation as “absurd,” stating that current regulations obligate British taxpayers to provide welfare payments to migrants. He further emphasized the need to restrict welfare claims to British citizens only. “It is time to end the right for migrants to claim welfare and ensure that British benefits only go to deserving British citizens,” he asserted.
Over the past year, a total of 734,200 migrants successfully passed the Habitual Residence Test (HRT), a crucial requirement to access benefits like Universal Credit, between October 2024 and September 2025. This marks a stark increase from the 411,700 qualifying migrants during the previous period, reflecting a growth of 78% in just two years.
From March 2022 to September 2025, nearly 2 million migrants (1,953,400 people) received eligibility for various benefits. These statistics, uncovered through Freedom of Information requests, reveal a striking trend amid ongoing discussions about immigration policy in the UK.
Earlier this year, the Department for Work and Pensions acknowledged that approximately 1.3 million migrants, equating to nearly 500 each day, actively claimed Universal Credit. The new data suggests that this number could potentially rise even further, as hundreds of thousands more foreign nationals remain eligible to apply.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is initiating new measures aimed at curbing immigration and enforcing stricter rules requiring individuals to “earn” their right to remain in Britain. Under the proposed reforms, migrants who claim benefits for up to a year would face a wait of 15 years for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), an increase from the current five years, while those on benefits for more than 12 months would have to wait 20 years for settlement.
A government spokesperson commented, “Universal Credit is primarily reserved for people settled in the UK, and overall, the proportion of claimants in this country who are foreign nationals has fallen since October 2024. But we want to go further, which is why we have announced plans to double the standard time most migrants have to wait before they can access benefits to 10 years, reducing the burden on the taxpayer and making sure settlement rights are earned.”
This ongoing debate highlights the complexity of welfare systems in relation to immigration, illustrating the tensions between social support and public sentiment on fiscal responsibility.
The rising number of migrants eligible for benefits has sparked intense discussions about the sustainability and fairness of the welfare system in the context of increased immigration. As the UK navigates its evolving immigration policy, striking a balance between support for those in need and safeguarding taxpayer interests remains a central challenge.
