Record number of migrants in U.K. living off government money

08/16/2025 / By Laura Harris

Nearly 1.3 million foreign nationals were claiming Universal Credit as of July, the highest number on record, with the majority (759,375) unemployed.
The number of non-U.K. claimants has risen by over 370,000 since July 2022, marking a 40 percent surge in just three years.
Claimants include 770,213 with EU settled status, 174,299 with refugee or humanitarian protection and 213,666 with Indefinite Leave to Remain.
The increase comes amid falling job vacancies and slower recruitment, compounding pressures on the U.K.’s welfare system and economy.
Critics, including the Shadow Home secretary and think tanks, accuse the Labour government of losing control of welfare and immigration policy, calling for Universal Credit to be limited to U.K. citizens only.

The United Kingdom government is facing growing pressure over the rising number of foreign nationals claiming Universal Credit, as new figures show nearly 1.3 million non-U.K. citizens are now receiving the benefit – the highest on record.

According to the latest data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the number of foreign nationals claiming Universal Credit rose sharply, hitting nearly 1.3 million in July. Of the 1,298,000 claimants, 759,375 were classified as out of work, while 524,598 were receiving in-work support, highlighting ongoing difficulties for many migrants to secure full-time or adequately paid employment.

Among those now receiving Universal Credit are 770,213 individuals granted settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, 174,299 with refugee or humanitarian protection and 213,666 with Indefinite Leave to Remain. Between January and March 2025, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that non-U.K. nationals accounted for 21.5 percent of all unemployed individuals, with 346,000 foreign nationals out of work – the highest number since records began. (Related: U.K. asylum costs will triple to £15.3B over the next decade amid surge in small boat migrants, NAO reports.)

The data paints a stark picture when compared to three years ago. In July 2022, there were 927,837 non-U.K. claimants, representing a surge of over 370,000, a 40 percent increase. Last month, data also revealed that the number of foreign nationals receiving Universal Credit had increased from 883,470 in 2022 to 1.26 million in July 2025, with the majority not in work.

Shadow Home secretary: Government has lost control of the welfare system

The rising figures come as the U.K. experiences a decline in job vacancies and slower hiring.

Center for Migration Control Research Director Robert Bates criticized the government’s approach. “We were promised that mass migration would bring unbridled prosperity to Britain. Instead, the taxpayer is being expected to financially support 1.3 million foreign national Universal Credit claimants, with one in five of those now unemployed being non-Brits. The costs of this open-border experiment are becoming clearer every day, and it is time we end, once and for all, the flow of low-wage, low-skilled foreign nationals into Britain,” Bates said.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp echoed the concerns. “These are staggering figures and are clear proof that the Labour government has lost control of our welfare system. Under Kemi Badenoch, we’ve set out a clear, common-sense position. Universal Credit should be reserved for U.K. citizens only. This is about fairness, responsibility and protecting support for those who’ve contributed to this country,” Philp said.

“We’re calling on Keir Starmer to stop the drift and take action. British taxpayers should not be working hard to subsidize immigrants, many of whom have only recently arrived. Taxpayers deserve a system that prioritizes them, not one that continues to fund an unsustainable open-door policy.”

Visit Migrants.news for more stories about illegal immigrants.

Watch this clip from “Bannon’s War Room” about the Italian government barring citizens from entering while allowing migrants at the same time.

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