1.5 million migrants on benefits in the UK
Key Points
- Nearly 1.5 million foreign nationals in the United Kingdom received Universal Credit payments at some point during 2025
- Approximately 899,000 had residency under the EU Settlement Scheme (largely pre-Brexit arrivals).
- Migrants become eligible for Universal Credit after securing indefinite leave to remain, refugee status, or humanitarian protection,
Nearly 1.5 million foreign nationals in the United Kingdom received Universal Credit payments at some point during 2025, according to official data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
The figures, released for the first time following a Freedom of Information request by the Centre for Migration Control (CMC), show that 1,497,774 migrants accounted for 15.6% of the 9.6 million people who claimed the main welfare benefit over the 12-month period to December 2025.
This annual unique claimant count exceeds the roughly 1.3 million foreign nationals recorded as receiving Universal Credit at the end of 2025, as it includes individuals who claimed the benefit for part of the year before moving into employment or becoming ineligible.
Breakdown of claimants
Of the total:
- Approximately 899,000 had residency under the EU Settlement Scheme (largely pre-Brexit arrivals).
- 145,230 were refugees.
- 66,497 had humanitarian protection.
- 332,652 held Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or limited leave, including family dependants.
- Smaller numbers fell into “other” or unrecorded categories.
Migrants become eligible for Universal Credit after securing indefinite leave to remain, refugee status, or humanitarian protection, and passing a Habitual Residence Test.
The data has intensified debate over UK immigration and welfare policy. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticised the situation, stating that Conservatives would ban benefits claims by non-British citizens, arguing that immigrants should contribute before claiming support funded by taxpayers.
The Labour government, under Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, is considering extending the wait for Indefinite Leave to Remain from five to 10 years, making it conditional on employment, English proficiency, and societal contribution.
Proposals also include barring most welfare claims until full British citizenship.
Critics, including Robert Bates of the CMC, described the UK as becoming the “food bank of the world” amid pressures on public finances and quality of life for British residents.
The UK’s overall welfare bill is projected to rise substantially in coming years. Estimates suggest significant long-term costs from certain migrant cohorts, such as care workers arriving in 2022–2023.
