500 MIGRANT PER DAY SIGN UP for BENFITS – Foreign national benefit claims hit record highs as Universal Credit recipients surge.
Nearly 500 migrants a day are signing up for benefits, according to newly released official figures.
Last month, approximately 472 migrants per day began claiming Universal Credit, while the overall number of foreign nationals receiving it increased to nearly 1.3 million, a rise of 6.7 per cent in a year.
The rise comes ahead of new laws that will tie migrants’ settlement rights to their avoidance of state benefits.
Under the changes, eligibility for indefinite leave to remain will depend on self-sufficiency and community contribution. Migrants will also face a 10-year wait before qualifying, with penalties for relying on benefits or breaking the law.
Officials warn that recently arrived migrants could add hundreds of millions to welfare costs without reforms. The measures form part of a wider government crackdown that also tightens long-term asylum settlement rules.
