One million immigrants claiming benefits

[AnxiousApocalypse]

Just been reading the comments sections of the Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail articles about the one million foreigners claiming benefits in the UK. It feels like the final nail in the coffin and a lot of people will feel even more justified in expressing their anger and hate towards immigrants. What happens when Reform win the next general election and come into power? Will people be rounded up en masse and put in detention centres like the USA?

Of the 1-1.25 million foreign born UC receivers two thirds are E.U. citizens

The government said it was willing to make the difficult choices. So far that’s involved taxing jobs (leading to a slump in job opportunities and reduction in projected revenue) and taking winter fuel allowances away from anyone with a pension in excess of c.£11k a year. They haven’t made efficiencies or cut spending in any other area. Their attempt to make a very small saving on PIP failed. Cutting benefits for non-citizens seems like a necessity. They’ve got to do something before the markets decide they are bankrupt and this one isn’t a vote loser. Although, 4 years before the next election and when you have already made yourself the most unpopular government in U.K. history, I’m not sure that electability is a priority for them.

We’ll do we know how many foreign nationals live in the UK

The conflation of asylum seekers, illegal migrants and legal migrants is enraging and playing into the worst type of dog whistle politics. My DD is statistically classed as a migrant because she was born overseas (we are both British) and so she is British by descent. The ONS uses place of birth to pull together migration stats . However if any of you people who claim all these migrants get free houses could let my DD know how she accesses this I'd be super grateful.

@HouseofGirth I also think it’s outrageous that you are treated so badly, there is a massive difference between legal immigration and illegal. Unfortunately, lots of people like to post how racist and thick everyone is, who has a problem with illegal immigration.

In 2025, the UK's GDP is estimated to be $3.84 trillion making it the sixth-largest economy in the world. Not bad for a bankruptcy.

She’s not a migrant unless you use place of birth. Migrants with citizenship are traditionally British by naturalisation. That’s my husband. He naturalised as a British citizen aged about 6.

Just a side note: to all of you saying we need people to work in the care system ; children/elderly. I don't really picture any of the young men coming over happily wiping butts in a retirement home. And the problem for me is all the men coming over- only men. But then I'm a woman having been harrassed by a group of immigrants recently so I'm biased.

Fact check OP. An illegal immigrant is not allowed to work. They receive a tiny allowance.

Refugees… well, it is the historical actions of our country and the rest of Europe that meant our country/Europe is a desirable place to live, whilst simultaneously fucking their country.

Economic migrants… they work and pay tax.

Remember… unless you if have paid tax on a salary of more than £40k a year (or it’s future/historical equivalent) then you are not a net contributor. You are taking out more than you are putting in. No different from receiving benefits. Most residents of the UK contribute nothing, ever.

What is clear, with the level of the benefits bill, is that is just isn't sustainable economically for this country to continue this way. There simply won't be enough people working and paying taxes to go into the pot - and we haven't even got to the unemployment that is being predicted when AI fully gets going within the next few years. Something has to change before it results in economic collapse.

It’s not size of economy. Its size of liabilities verses income. Our national debt interest payments are vast, the interest rate the government pays on that debt has grown (which makes it more expensive to hold and leaves less money for public expenditure) and if the markets decide the books don’t add up then they will increase that further, or not lend at all. A default is completely plausible.

Although there was a similar crossing issue pre Howard, it was policy that changed the numbers and no party will touch it. Whether we do the same at a GE I guess we’ll see.

If they are genuine refugees,then they should be placed in suitable accommodation,while being accessed.If they are in the UK illegally, I think they should be deported.We are a small island,why the politicians think we can accommodate people from all over the world.I am not racist I am married to a black male.These so called boats coming over to the UK has become a total nightmare.The home office accommodating them in Hotels.At the tax payers expense.There use to be a Hub in Edinburgh that we use to stay in while visiting.The home office decided it would be a good thing to do place refugees in the hub.Now the hub is no longer,as the building was on fire sadly.where we live now.The Hotel opposite the train station has been turned into a place for refugees.The hotel was charging £300 + per person per day.The hotel was no longer taking bookings from the public! The amount of money that it's costing the country you would think, that it could be spent making the borders in the UK secure surely?

If this is accurate it’s less than 1% of the population! It needs clarity, are these immigrants that have come over here legally and working and paying taxes but receive UC due to low pay? I don’t see you moaning about this: June 2025, 7.9 million people were on Universal Credit in Great Britain. This represents approximately 11.6% of the UK population, considering an estimated population of 68 million. The Independent reports that 22.8% of the working-age population is receiving some form of benefits, including Universal Credit.

If Reform were to win the GE, I think you find we will have a civil war, there is no place for for their vile politics in modern society but I do think people are waking up to this one trick party which feeds on people’s fears about migration! Sadly it’s like many who voted in Trump it’s the poorly educated who will vote Reform!

Immigrants are desperate people. None of them would have left their homes and family if they were safe and comfortable. They come from places that are in a bad state and no opportunities. I don’t blame them. Anyone with any drive would try to better their situation.
It would be much better if governments tried to help rebuild what was destroyed and reinvest in those countries or insured there was a strong infrastructure and pathway for those coming in, and those living in this country already.

@Genevieva

Although, 4 years before the next election and when you have already made yourself the most unpopular government in U.K. history, I’m not sure that electability is a priority for them

This kind of stat isn’t really that meaningful anymore though. Yes, Labour is polling 25%. Awful for a newish government. But the Tories are polling 15%. They could literally be down to single figures soon. Amazing when even a decade ago everyone assumed their absolute basement vote was probably 30%.

The right got what it wanted with Brexit but obviously it didn’t solve anything. Just made stuff a bit worse. Same with austerity which merely hurt the poorest in society, dampened economic growth and worsened social problems among the poorest. The electorate has finally apportioned blame for living standards onto the brain dead Tories.

And now the country is two decades into its living standard slump/immigration scapegoat phase. These aren’t normal times. But if the country thinks the answer to brain dead Tory policy like austerity and Brexit is more brain dead Tory policy with a side of racism - then Farage is your man!

If you read the figures though (even within the daily mail) it’s clear the vast majority of that one million are EU residents who have settled status to remain in the UK. Only a small minority of claimants were people without settled status (Eu or otherwise).

I have plenty of friends from the EUnor elsewhere who have been here for years and have children born in the UK and British spouses. I’d hate to think most people don’t think these people would be entitled to benefits.

It’s more Reform that Labour will be worried about, not Conservative polling

Farage said he won’t deport people, will increase child benefit and wants the U.K. open for global business. He’s a slippery character, but I’m not at all convinced he’s anything other than a mainstream politician. Not a high bar, admittedly.

Thats really patronising to the history of the Middle East.

https://pjhollis123.medium.com/careful-mate-that-foreigner-wants-your-cookie-aba1c536b0d8

asylum seekers are desperate people

immigrants are simply people who move country, legally.
or if they move from UK to Spain, they are called ‘ex-pats’

Don’t you think the issue is, it takes the government far too long to process them! It’s a minimum of 6 months and then they have the right to appeal! Some coming on the boats will be genuine asylum seekers!
The other issue is people confuse those coming through legal channels such as work with those who are here illegally!

Obviously