FOREIGNERS should be banned from claiming disability benefits under a bombshell plan by the Conservatives to slash the spiralling welfare bill.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is demanding that handouts worth up to £1,200 a month be reserved for UK citizens only — in a dramatic move to draw a battle line with Labour and Reform.
The proposal would see Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and sickness top-ups to Universal Credit stripped from foreign nationals, with an exception for EU citizens with settled status.
It comes amid explosive revelations that benefits paid to households with at least one foreign national have doubled, hitting nearly £1 billion a month.
Badenoch will unleash her war on welfare in a fiery speech this week warning that Labour’s chaos and backtracking has blown a £5 billion black hole in Britain’s finances.
Just days ago, Keir Starmer suffered a humiliating climbdown after caving to a mass rebellion from his own MPs over welfare reforms.
Now Tory MPs are going on the offensive, tabling amendments to Labour’s welfare Bill that would rip up access to disability benefits for all but British citizens.
Kemi Badenoch is expected to say she wants:
– PIP and sickness top-ups only for UK citizens
– Mandatory face-to-face assessments
– Ban mental health conditions like anxiety or ADHD from being treated as “severe”
At the heart of the row is PIP, a taxpayer-funded benefit worth up to £750 a month for people with mobility or care needs. But it’s now being doled out for conditions like acne, writer’s cramp and mild anxiety, sparking outrage.
New stats show a staggering 531 people a day were granted PIP for mental health reasons last year, adding to a surge that’s seen three quarters of sickness claimants handed the top-tier £423 Universal Credit boost on top of their usual payments.
The rest, classed as “fit to prepare for work,” still get £158 extra every month.
Current rules allow foreign nationals to claim PIP if they’ve lived in the UK for two of the last three years — but the Tories say enough is enough.
This week’s Conservative amendments will aim to shut the door on overseas claimants, bring back in-person checks, and clamp down on so-called “gaming” of the system.
Remote assessments have 13% higher award rates, sparking fears of widespread abuse.
Meanwhile, PIP and its predecessor Disability Living Allowance are forecast to rocket to £28 billion a year by 2028-29. Overall, disability benefits will soar to a whopping £58 billion — up from £39 billion last year.
Badenoch’s speech on Thursday is expected to challenge Labour and Reform to match the Conservatives’ bold vision— or risk being exposed as weak on welfare.
She will declare:
“The Conservatives are now the only party committed to serious welfare reform.
We are the only party that is prepared to take the tough decisions to get spending under control.”
The battle for the future of welfare is on — and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Main Photo: Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch. Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street
