Nearly 500 migrants every day are now signing up for benefits in the UK, with new figures showing that Universal Credit claims from foreign nationals have reached a record high of 1.3 million. The latest data revealed that an average of 472 migrants a day began claiming Universal Credit last month, marking a 6.7% rise in just one year. This sharp increase comes at a time when the government is preparing a major overhaul of the country’s asylum and migration rules.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to announce new laws that will make a migrant’s right to settle in the UK dependent on not claiming benefits. She warned that illegal migration is “tearing our country apart,” and said the government needs strong action to regain control of the system. Part of her announcement includes turning refugee status into temporary protection rather than a long-term path to settlement. Refugees whose home countries later become safe will be expected to return immediately.
At the moment, refugees can apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years. This gives them the right to access benefits, public funds, and eventually citizenship. However, the new rules will be much tougher. People who arrive illegally—whether on small boats, in the back of lorries, or by overstaying a visa—will have to wait for 20 years before they can apply for settlement. Those who come legally will need to follow a newly introduced 10-year pathway.
A government spokesman defended the overall numbers, saying that the rise in Universal Credit claims includes both migrants and British nationals. He explained that claimants are increasing partly because thousands of people are being moved from older benefit systems to the modern Universal Credit system. According to the spokesman, the share of claimants who are foreign nationals has actually fallen since October 2024.
These new laws follow Mahmood’s earlier announcement on Monday, which focused on tougher action against illegal migrants. Her latest plans will also target migrant families for removal for the first time. Currently, it is extremely difficult to deport asylum seekers with children, even after their claims have been rejected, because the law makes it harder to remove families once they have settled into communities.
The Home Office argues that some asylum seekers have taken advantage of this rule by having children or bringing them into the UK to avoid removal. Officials said that removing families will be a major change affecting hundreds of households, including around 700 Albanian families who remain in the UK despite receiving rejection decisions.
Why is the government changing the rules on migrants claiming benefits?
The government says the changes are needed to stop people using the benefits system to stay in the UK long-term and to reduce the number of migrants crossing the Channel illegally. Ministers believe that stricter benefit-linked settlement rules will remove the incentive to enter the country unlawfully.
Mahmood also said the UK has become “more divided” as the debate over migration grows. Her new policies aim to increase deterrence, help control the border, and reduce the rising pressure on the benefits system.