Reform UK's Foreign Benefits Ban Could Hit EU Citizens Too, With £21bn in Annual Savings Claimed

Reform UK wants to ban foreign nationals from being excluded from most benefits, to save the nation some £21 billion ($28.5 billion) a year within five years of implementation. This may include European Union (EU) nationals with settled status in the UK. 'Forcing British workers to pay for the benefits of foreigners isn't just economically illiterate but plain immoral,' said Reform UK's shadow chancellor Robert Jenrick.

'People are more than happy to support their neighbours in hard times, but the British taxpayer cannot afford to subsidise everyone on the planet, especially those who have not paid in,' Jenrick, who is also MP for Newark, said.

'£322 Billion on Welfare'

It is estimated that the government would have spent £333.7 billion ($452.8 billion) on the social security system from 2025 to 2026. The amount includes Department for Work and Pensions expenditure, tax credits and child benefit, and Northern Ireland Social Security.

According to the political party, it took six months to draw up a 50-page plan that features calculations on how the nation can save £50 billion ($67.8 billion) by banning foreign nationals from benefiting from almost all welfare payments. These include housing benefit, pension credit, jobseeker's allowance, child benefit, free childcare and disability benefits.

There will be some exemptions, such as the war widows' pension and Armed Forces compensation. The party also plans to replace the disability payment system. The same could be applied to EU nationals, which raised the question of possible retribution.

'So I'd understand if the Europeans decided to apply the same principle that we are and to deny our nationals access to their welfare system and we will pay for that ourselves,' said Reform UK MP Danny Kruger. 'They would have two options—they can either return to the UK, they might wish to do that if the benefits system is preferable for them, but we're open to a negotiation.'

Critics Say Party Is 'Out of Touch'

Best for Britain, the anti-Brexit civil society, has called Reform UK's proposals 'out of touch'. Tom Brufatto, the organisation's executive director of policy and research, said a survey shows that the majority of Britons want to renegotiate its relationship with the EU.

'People do want to renegotiate our relationship with Europe, but by moving closer, not by damaging ties with vital allies and punishing our neighbours, colleagues, and friends who have settled status here,' Brufatto said. According to a poll, 53% of those surveyed support joining the EU single market.

'It's clear after the party's lacklustre showing in the Clacton by-election, much to Nigel Farage's evident embarrassment, Reform UK is increasingly out of touch with what Brits really want—which is to get the economy growing again, as independent economic research shows only EU membership can deliver,' Brufatto also said.

Despite what Brufatto said, Farage won the Clacton by-election by a large majority. However, major parties, such as the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Restore Britain declined to participate, dismissing the vote as a farce.

Linda Burnip, co-founder of Disabled People Against Cuts, said previous disability replacements didn't work: 'However, this obviously has failed and the major problem with Reform's crude plans to save money by denying payments to disabled people is that they fail to understand that a relatively small payment, which supports someone, could result in a massive saving overall from the public purse.'