Statistics from the Department of Work and Pensions showed that 14,451 migrants began claiming Universal Credit last month, representing a daily rate of 472.
A record number of migrants are signing up for benefits each day, official figures show, as Shabana Mahmoood prepares to announce new laws on foreign nationals making welfare claims.
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Statistics from the Department of Work and Pensions showed that 14,451 migrants began claiming Universal Credit last month, representing a daily rate of 472.
The overall number of foreign nationals receiving handouts rose to nearly 1.3 million, an increase of 6.7 per cent in a year.
It comes as the Home Secretary will today announce a new system of “earned” settlement, making migrants' right to indefinite leave dependent on not claiming benefits.
Foreign nationals will only be granted indefinite leave to remain (ILR) if they can support themselves without claiming welfare, pay National Insurance, have a clean criminal record, speak English to a high standard and volunteer in the community.
They will only be able to claim ILR after 10 years in the UK, rather than the current five, unless they are making a significant financial or charitable contribution to society.
Those who fail to meet this criteria will face a longer wait and could be removed from the UK when their existing visa comes up for renewal.
A source told The Telegraph: “The baseline becomes 10 years. Lots of contribution, and you may be able to earn ILR earlier. Failure to contribute in certain ways and it will be later. Failure to contribute in other ways will be entirely disqualifying.”
From January, 1.6 million people who have come to Britain since 2020 as part of the "Boriswave" influx will become available to seek ILR.
But, under Ms Mahmood's proposals, they will now face a 10-year-wait before being able to claim benefits, under rules that will be applied to them retrospectively.
The Government announced the changes as it feared migrants could add hundreds of millions of pounds to the benefits bill because more than 800,000 are in low-paid work, meaning they could be eligible for Universal Credit.
Ms Mahmood also announced on Monday a major shake-up of asylum reforms, ending refugees’ automatic right to stay in the UK and forcing those who remain to wait for 20 years for permanent settlement.
The move is part of Labour's attempts to cut Reform's lead in the polls by tackling an issue which is at the heart of Nigel Farage's manifesto.
Official data showed that 1.27 million migrants were claiming Universal Credit last month, representing a 44 per cent rise in less than four years.
Of these, 762,000 claimants were granted the right to stay under the EU Settlement Scheme.
Some 219,000 have been granted ILR, largely after coming to the UK on work visas, while 125,000 are refugees and 77,000 came through the family reunion route.
A Government spokesman said: “The number of Universal Credit claimants across all categories – including British nationals – has been increasing as we have invited tens of thousands of people each month to move from legacy benefits onto the modernised system.
“Overall, the proportion of claimants in this country who are foreign nationals has fallen since October 2024.”
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