Staggering numbers reveal that nearly 3.5 million foreign-born individuals in Britain are draining taxpayer-funded welfare benefits.
Despite years of misleading rhetoric claiming that mass migration boosts the British economy, the truth is painfully clear: millions of migrants are siphoning off critical resources from public finances through universal credit and various welfare programs.
Data from the Department for Work and Pensions shows that 1.26 million foreign nationals are currently relying on universal credit—an essential payment for working-age individuals aimed at supporting housing, childcare, and other expenses. Once migrants achieve residency or refugee status, they are entitled to the same benefits as British citizens, contributing to this alarming statistic.
This figure barely scratches the surface. The latest findings from the Labour Force Survey reveal that an additional 623,377 foreign citizens are drawing state benefits such as disability, housing, and childcare support. These data points signal a troubling trend with broader implications.
Even more alarming, this 1.88 million figure fails to account for the additional 1.5 million foreign-born benefit recipients who have obtained British citizenship. Thus, the actual number swells to approximately 3.4 million. This is a crisis that demands immediate attention!
Moreover, the Labour Force Survey is notorious for underreporting benefit recipients. A recent review from the Department for Work and Pensions highlighted a “long-standing undercount,” hinting that the actual numbers may be significantly higher. The public deserves transparent and accurate statistics on this issue!
The financial burden of welfare benefits on foreign nationals is staggering. The British taxpayer shelled out an eye-watering £24.79 billion ($33 billion) for universal credit payments to non-British/Irish households from March 2022 to March 2025. Last year alone, these foreign nationals claimed £10.1 billion in universal credit, accounting for one in every six pounds spent on the program.
Robert Bates from the Centre for Migration Control has rightly pointed out the injustice: “Foreign nationals arriving in Britain for work or study should not be tapping into our welfare state.” At least 1.9 million individuals not hailing from the UK are being supported by the British taxpayer, and that is simply unacceptable.
It’s clear that our immigration system needs a complete overhaul. We must prioritize attracting the best talent rather than those reliant on state support. The conversation surrounding indefinite leave to remain is overdue; our current system is outdated and unsustainable.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is taking a firm stand, vowing to restrict welfare benefits to British citizens if his party takes power. His plan includes scrapping the Indefinite Leave to Remain scheme, which threatens to grant the wave of post-Brexit arrivals permanent status and further access to taxpayer-funded benefits.
Farage has rightly declared, “This outrageous cost to the taxpayer is before the Boriswave gets indefinite leave to remain. Things can only get worse.”
Indeed, a report from the Centre for Policy Studies earlier this year warned that the recently arrived Boriswave migrants could cost the state a staggering £234 billion over their lifetimes. This figure could balloon even further depending on how many of these individuals are granted permanent residency.
