GB News host Bev Turner has expressed her outrage at the latest Universal Credit figures, as the Department for Work and Pensions has revealed the "astonishing" number of migrants claiming the benefit.
New Government statistics have revealed that more than 1.26 million migrants are now claiming Universal Credit, with the majority not in employment.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said it had published the statistics "following a public commitment to investigate and develop breakdowns of the Universal Credit caseload by the immigration status of foreign nationals in receipt of Universal Credit".
The figures represent a sharp increase from 883,470 foreign nationals receiving the benefit in 2022. The total number of Universal Credit claimants has surged from 6.8 million in June 2024 to 7.9 million a year later.
PA / GB News
|Bev Turner hit out at 'astonishing' new figures which reveal more than one million migrants are claiming Universal Credit
Reacting to the new data, Britain's Newsroom host Bev Turner hit out at the "astonishing" numbers, branding the surge "deeply embarrassing" for the Government.
Bev fumed: "Hang on a minute, there's been a 50 per cent in three years? 50 per cent increase in the number of migrants claiming Universal Credit?
"That is just astonishing. There has been just under 800,000 claims made."
Hitting out at the current Labour Government and the previous Tory Government in light of the figures, Bev branded the data "embarrassing".
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
PA | Over one million migrants are claiming Universal Credit, the DWP has revealed
Bev stated: "We're just trying to get the information around this, these figures, but it is deeply embarrassing, not just for this Government, frankly, but for the previous one as well.
"I'm going to be watching Twitter, there'll be some comments, no doubt, coming out from some of the politicians. I'm expecting Reform to jump on this quite quickly."
Delivering his verdict on the statistics, cohost Ben Leo pointed out that Britain is one of the most "hospitable countries going", and this new data "proves it".
Ben explained: "This brings me back to the story of the 12 year old girl who went to school in a Union Flag dress was chastised for it, sent home, her dad had to pick her up. Because she was accused of not facilitating culture day.
GB News
|Ben said Britain is one of the most 'hospitable and generous countries'
"And I said at the time, we are one of the most hospitable, welcoming, inclusive, whatever cliche word you want to use, countries going, and this just proves it.
"1.2 million migrants claiming Universal Credit, including refugees, those with indefinite leave to remain. We are the most welcoming country going, we are generous, we are kind. And yet, in the case of that poor 12-year-old girl, we're treated like we're doing something wrong."
Under current Universal Credit rules, only migrants with specific immigration statuses are eligible for the benefit, including those with settled status, refugee status, or humanitarian protection.
Those with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) are not entitled to Universal Credit unless their status changes.