A migrant qualifies for Universal Credit every 43 seconds

The number of foreign national Habitual Residence Test passes has increased by 78% since 2022/23 - with over 740,000 in the last year alone.

We already know that nearly 1.3 million nationals are claiming Universal Credit, and at least 1.9 million are claiming some form of welfare support from the British state.

This has cost us over £28bn since March 2022, and over £10bn in 2024 alone.

Now the Centre for Migration Control can reveal the sheer number of foreign nationals looking to access Britain’s welfare state:

Topline

The number of foreign nationals Habitual Residence Test passes has increased by 78% between 2022/23 and 2024/24.

There were a total of 1.9 million foreign nationals HRT passes between March 2022 and September 2025.

In 2024/25 a migrant became eligible for Universal Credit every 43 seconds after passing the HRT.

Non-EEA nationals now make up the majority of those passing the HRT. Credit.

A surge in HRT passes

New research by the Centre for Migration Control shows an explosion in the number of foreign nationals passing the ‘Habitual Residency Test’ (HRT) - a prerequisite for those looking to claim Universal Credit.

Between March 2022 and September 2025, there were 1,953,400 HRT ‘passes’.

Between October 2022 and September 2023, there were 411,700 HRT ‘passes’, yet just two years later (Oct 24 - Sep 25) this had increased by 78% to 734,200.

In May 2023 there were 27,900 foreign nationals passing the HRT, yet just two years later, in May 2025, this had surged to 70,700 (an increase of 150%).

When broken down by nationality, there is a huge disparity between EEA nationals and non-EEA nationals, reflecting the changing nature of Britain’s immigration system as well as the increased prevalence of welfare dependency amongst non-EEA nationals.

Between 22/23 and 24/25 the number of EEA nationals passing the HRT each year increased from 269,000 to 319,600 (an 18.8% increase). For non-EEA nationals, the number passing increased from 142,700 to 414,600 (an increase of 190%).

Until November 2024, EEA nationals made up the majority of those passing the HRT for every month on record. This has now shifted and in 2024/25 non-EEA nationals made up 56% of HRT passes.

1.953m HRT passes between March 2022 and September 2025 means that 1,492 migrants become eligible every day (more than one a minute) and 10,446 become eligible every week.

In the last 12 months of data (October 2024 - September 2025) this becomes even more stark, with 14,077 becoming eligible every week, or 2,011 every day. This breaks down to 84 becoming eligible every single hour, or one every 43 seconds.

The total number of annual HRT applications received has also increased from 493,000 in 2022/23 to 821,600 in 2024/25. There were a total of 2,255,800 HRT applications over this period.

The pass rate between March 2022 and September 2025 was 86.5%. However, this has been steadily increasing. Between October 2022 and September 2023, the pass rate was 83.51%. This had increased to 89.36% between October 2024 and September 2025.

About the data

An individual only undergoes the HRT when they apply for benefits. “The DWP states: Claimants do not ‘apply’ to the HRT, but rather DWP may carry out the HRT to check a claimant meets the entitlement conditions when they apply for benefit or during their claim if their circumstances change.”

An individual can apply for Universal Credit, pass the HRT, but still not be paid Universal Credit because they do not meet other qualification requirements.

These figures therefore give us, for the first time, an indication of the demand for Universal Credit from foreign nationals - especially from those who are not eligible.

The fact that there were 302,600 HRT fails between March 2022 and September 2025 shows that many foreign nationals who do not reside in Britain have chanced their arms at accessing the welfare state.

Furthermore, the fact that there have been 1.9 million HRT passes, but there are currently just under 1.3 million foreign nationals in receipt of Universal Credit, shows again that many foreign nationals have applied for Universal Credit with circumstances that would not make them entitled.

There are likely instances within the data where an individual has applied multiple times, thus the topline figures cannot be taken as a direct indication of the number of people passing the HRT.

Those on refugee and humanitarian routes are not required to pass the HRT in order to claim welfare support. Previous research by Oxford’s Migration Observatory suggests 66% of refugees are claiming Universal Credit.

More information on the HRT can be read here: https://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2023-0365/071_Habitual_Residence_Test_V11-0.pdf