The Department for Work and Pensions has published the first detailed breakdown of Universal Credit claimants by immigration status, showing that 1.26 million foreign nationals were receiving the benefit in June. That represents about 16 percent of the record 7.9 million people on Universal Credit and marks an increase from 883,000 migrant claimants in 2022. EU citizens account for the largest share, with 770,379 claimants, followed by 118,749 refugees, 75,267 people on time-limited visas and 54,156 on humanitarian routes. More than half of migrant recipients are not in employment; overall, 34 percent of all Universal Credit claimants are working, while the rate for refugees is just 22 percent. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he wants the number of foreign nationals on out-of-work benefits to fall and confirmed plans to double the qualifying period for settled status—from five to 10 years—before most migrants can access Universal Credit. Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp called the figures “staggering” and argued the benefit should be reserved for UK citizens only. The DWP said the statistics fulfil a pledge to improve transparency and noted that, while the absolute number of foreign-national claimants has risen, their share of overall Universal Credit payments slipped to 15.6 percent from 16.5 percent a year earlier.