One and a half million migrants claimed Universal Credit in 2025

New research by the Centre for Migration Control reveals that 1,497,774 individual migrants claimed Universal Credit between January 2025 and December 2025.

New research by the Centre for Migration Control reveals that 1,497,774 individual migrants claimed Universal Credit between January 2025 and December 2025.

The data, extracted via a freedom of information request to the Department for Work and Pensions, shows the pressures being placed on Britain’s welfare system by mass migration and lax settlement rules.

2025 Universal Credit claims by nationality

Why this data matters

As of July 2025, following pressure from the Centre for Migration Control and outlets like the Daily Telegraph, the DWP began publishing data on the number of individuals claiming Universal Credit by nationality and immigration status.

However, the figures do not reveal the true scale of welfare dependency, and the pressures being put on the welfare state by low-wage, low-skill migration.

The figures revealed today show that the number of migrants in the orbit of Universal Credit - owing to periods of unemployment or because they occupy low-waged jobs - is far higher than was first thought.

In December 2025, the number of migrants claiming UC was 1.3 million. This means a further 200,000 migrants had claimed UC at some point during 2025, but were no longer in receipt.

Non-Universal Credit benefit combinations

We also know, thanks to previous research conducted by the CMC, that there are at least 600,000 foreign nationals that are receiving a non-Universal Credit benefit combination.

This data was extracted from the Labour Force Survey for the period April - June 2025, and showed there were 623,377 foreign nationals claiming a benefit, or combination of benefits, that did not include Universal Credit

In total there were 383,011 EU nationals claiming a non-UC benefit combination and 240,366 non-EU nationals claiming a non-UC benefit combination.

This includes 474,321 just claiming child allowance, 69,561 just claiming pension benefits, 70,788 just claiming sickness/disability benefits, 15,891 just claiming housing benefit, and 10,558 claiming both housing benefit and child allowance.

This would mean that, in 2025, at least 2,121,151 migrants received some form of benefit from the British state.

This includes 840,102 non-EEA nationals and 1,092,333 EEA nationals.

In the year ending September 2025, 734,200 foreign nationals qualified for Universal Credit after passing the Habitual Residence Test.

Huge costs

Between January 2024 and June 2025, foreign national households received £15.1bn, in Universal Credit with £10.6bn going to households with an unemployed foreign national.

Last year taxpayers of this country were required to support 1.5 million economically dependent foreign individuals. This country is becoming the food bank of the world at a time when British people are seeing a decline in their quality of life. Unless the Home Secretary acts decisively to stop the Boriswave, this dire situation will descend into a full-blown fiscal crisis.