Reform Pledges Foreign National Benefits Ban to Cut £50bn Welfare Bill
Reform UK has announced plans to bar all foreign nationals from British welfare benefits, a policy Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick says would save taxpayers £21 billion annually.
According to GB News, the party’s Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick unveiled the radical proposals, which would save taxpayers more than £21 billion annually within five years should Nigel Farage secure power in the next general election.
The comprehensive benefits ban would affect foreign nationals’ access to Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Pension Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Child Benefit, free childcare provision, and disability benefits.
Notably, the restrictions would extend even to European Union nationals who currently hold settled status in the UK, requiring officials to renegotiate Britain’s existing Brexit agreement with Brussels to implement the policy fully.
Jenrick defended the proposals with strong language, stating: Forcing British workers to pay for the benefits of foreigners is not just economically illiterate but plain immoral.
He further emphasized that while Britons willingly support their neighbours during difficult times, the British taxpayer cannot sustain subsidizing unlimited numbers of people, particularly those who have not contributed to the system.
The Reform spokesman argued that public demand for such changes has existed for decades, contrasting his party’s willingness to act with what he characterized as inaction from established political parties.
The announcement represents a significant policy commitment from Farage’s party as it positions itself as the defender of taxpayer interests and fiscal responsibility ahead of future electoral contests.
Implementation of the foreign nationals benefits ban would require substantial legislative changes and potentially contentious negotiations with the European Union over modifications to current post-Brexit arrangements governing citizens’ rights.
With information from GB News
