Benefits claimed by households containing at least one foreign citizen have nearly doubled in the past three years to more than £900million a month, according to government figures.
A freedom of information request to the Department for Work and Pensions showed that in March this year, such households received £941million in universal credit payments, compared with £461million in March 2022.
The £941million represented a 30 per cent increase from March last year and accounted for 15.5 per cent of the £6.05billion in universal credit payments distributed that month.
This marks an increase from March 2022, when benefits claimed by foreign citizen households accounted for 14.1 per cent of total payments.
Benefits claimed by households containing at least one foreign citizen have nearly doubled in the past three years to more than £900million a month, according to government figures
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Foreign citizens are able to claim benefits, including universal credit, pension credit and housing benefits on the same terms as British citizens once they are granted indefinite leave to remain or refugee status.
A foreign claimant is described by the DWP as a non-common travel area (CTA) citizen or someone who does not hold British or Irish nationality.
Joint claims that include at least one non-CTA citizen are classed as non-CTA, even if other members of the household are British citizens.
Only payments to households with “claimants who have a non-CTA nationality and have passed the habitual resident test” were included in the data, revealed by the Telegraph.
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Sir Keir Starmer recently announced plans to reduce net migration by the end of this parliament
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This is a test to ensure that an individual has the right to reside in the UK and is “factually habitually resident” in the country.
Former Tory health minister, Neil O’Brien, wrote in the publication that the generous spending on benefits would “see more and more [foreign citizens] coming” to the UK.
Sir Keir Starmer recently announced plans to reduce net migration by the end of this parliament, which include increasing the qualifications required for skilled worker visas to degree level and banning the recruitment of overseas care workers.
Under the new plans, foreign students would only be allowed to remain in the UK for 18 months after completing their studies rather than two years under the current system.
A freedom of information request to the Department for Work and Pensions showed that in March this year, such households received £941million in universal credit payments, compared with £461million in March 2022
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After the Prime Minister’s “island of strangers” speech, he was accused by critics of “divisive language” reminiscent of Enoch Powell’s “rivers of blood” speech.
Graham Stringer, a Labour backbencher, said: “Given the state of the country’s finances, everything has to be looked at and reassessed.
"This expenditure [on foreign claimants] in my opinion, is not a priority. We have to be absolutely clear on what our priorities are and in my view these people are not a priority.”
A government spokesman said: “We inherited a spiralling benefits system that was out of control. Since last July, we have reduced the proportion of benefit payments to nationals outside the British Isles.
"Refugees and non-UK or Irish citizens can only access these payments once their immigration status is formally verified by the Home Office and they satisfy strict tests.”
Despite the government's efforts to restrict legal net migration, illegal small boat channel crossings continue, with GB News exclusively revealing more than 500 small boat migrants have crossed the English Channel illegally today.
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