Migrant families take home record £12BILLION in universal credit claims in 'insult' to British taxpayers

There was a significant increase from £7.5billion the previous year, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) data, secured through freedom of information requests by the Centre for Migration Control, show.

The figures show that roughly one in six universal credit payments — 15.6 per cent of the total — went to such households over the past year.

Of the £11.9billion total, some £7.7billion — equivalent to 65 per cent — was directed to claimants who were out of work.

The remaining claims were split across households where at least one foreign national was from inside the European Economic Area.

The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has attracted backlash from her own party after announcing a sweeping set of asylum reforms.

As part of those plans, she has put forward plans to double the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain from five to 20 years, with an even longer 15-year wait imposed on foreign care workers.

Since coming to power, rebel MPs have pleaded with Mr Burnham to water down the proposals.

Up in arms over the latest findings, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp told The Telegraph: "These are shocking figures.

"British taxpayers should not be paying billions in benefits to foreigners, especially given that over half of these payments are for people out of work.

"Paying unemployed foreigners is an insult to hard-working taxpayers."

Chris Philp condemned the findings

PA

His fury was reiterated by Reform's Treasury spokesman, Robert Jenrick, who heaped blame onto the "Boriswave".

He warned: "If Burnham bottles ILR changes, the Boriswave risks becoming permanent and will cost taxpayers tens of billions more."

Robert Bates, research director at the Centre for Migration Control, described the situation as "nothing short of a fiscal disaster".

"These figures make a mockery of the suggestion that mass legal migration has been a boon for Britain’s economy," he fumed.

A Government spokesman said: "Under this Government, net migration is down by 82 per cent from its 2023 peak.

"Only people who are in the UK legally can claim taxpayer-funded benefits, of which around half are in work.

"Last November, we set out proposals to reform settlement which will double the standard qualifying period to 10 years for most migrants, with shorter routes for those who contribute most to the UK."

Under existing rules, foreign nationals may access universal credit provided their immigration status grants them recourse to public funds.

Such rules include refugees, individuals holding EU settled status, and those who have obtained indefinite leave to remain.