Latest news with #Rayner
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Foreigners claim £1bn a month in benefits
Benefits claims by households with at least one foreign national have doubled to nearly £1 billion a month in the past three years, government figures show. Households with at least one claimant who is a foreign national received £941 million in March this year, up from £461 million in March 2022, representing nearly a sixth of the month's Universal Credit payments. The figures are likely to reinforce calls for restrictions on benefits for migrants, which Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, urged Rachel Reeves to consider in a leaked memo seen by The Telegraph. Ms Reeves, the Chancellor, is already facing a growing backbench rebellion over her plans to cut welfare spending. Funding two months of benefits for households with foreign nationals cancels out the £1.4 billion the Government saved by axing winter fuel payments. Experts suggested the increase reflected a surge in the number of asylum seekers being granted refugee status and in net migration. Foreign nationals become eligible for Universal Credit and other benefits on the same terms as British citizens once they are granted either indefinite leave to remain or refugee status. Writing in The Telegraph, Neil O'Brien, a former Tory health minister who uncovered the data, said: 'The growth of benefit spending and the rate of migration are both much too fast, and the Government is doing far too little to change either trend. 'Migrants know that if they can make it to the UK, they will be allowed to stay. As long as that is true, we'll see more and more coming. Our soft-touch welfare state makes this worse.' Graham Stringer, a senior Labour backbencher and former leader of Manchester City Council, said that such vast spending on foreign claimants should not be a priority. He said: 'Given the state of the country's finances, everything has to be looked at and reassessed. This expenditure [on foreign claimants] in my opinion is not a priority. 'We have to be absolutely clear on what our priorities are and in my view these people are not a priority. It has to be judged against potential cuts in PIPs [Personal Independence Payments] and the winter fuel allowance and other benefits that may be cut for British citizens.' The Telegraph revealed earlier this month that Ms Rayner told Ms Reeves to consider making it harder for immigrants to gain access to Universal Credit, by raising the fee they must pay for using the NHS and restricting their access to the state pension. Ms Rayner's memo warned that, because of the high rates of immigration in the early 2020s, there would be an increase in the number of people becoming eligible for indefinite leave to remain, entitling them to state benefits. The data, obtained for the first time under freedom of information laws from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), shows that the amount of Universal Credit being claimed by foreign nationals has risen by nearly 30 per cent in a year, from £726 million to £941 million in March. This accounted for 15.5 per cent of the total £6.05 billion payments of Universal Credit that month, up from 14.1 per cent in March 2022 but down slightly since when Labour won the general election in July last year. The rising costs follow soaring net migration, which after Brexit reached a record high of more than 900,000 in 2023. The DWP defines a foreign claimant as a non-Common Travel Area (CTA) national – someone who does not hold British or Irish nationality. Its analysis only included payments to households that are made to 'claimants who have a non-CTA nationality and have passed the Habitual Resident Test (HRT).' HRT checks that an individual has a right to reside in the UK and is 'factually habitually resident' in the UK. The DWP said joint claims that include at least one non-British or Irish national will be classed as foreign, even if other members of the household are British nationals. Sir Keir Starmer announced a crackdown on net migration earlier this month that included proposals to extend eligibility for indefinite leave to remain from the current five years to 10 years, effectively denying tens of thousands access to benefits for longer. Under his plans, migrants will only be able to 'earn' citizenship earlier if they can show a 'real and lasting contribution' to the economy and society. It comes as Reform seeks to capture its first seat in Scotland in a by-election in Hamilton by capitalising on its plans for net zero immigration and restoring the winter fuel allowance. A government spokesman said: 'We inherited a spiralling benefits system that was out of control. Since last July, we have reduced the proportion of benefit payments to nationals outside the British Isles. 'Refugees and non-UK or Irish citizens can only access these payments once their immigration status is formally verified by the Home Office, and they satisfy strict tests.' By Neil O'Brien The soaring bill for Universal Credit payments to people from overseas is the tip of the iceberg. Universal Credit only accounts for about half of working age welfare spending, and the DWP is so far refusing to release the same data for other benefits. And cash benefits are only part of the story. For example, around half of all the council housing in Greater London is occupied by households where the head of the household was born abroad. Of these tenants, around a half are in work, and a half are not. Many of those who commute a long way into the capital, paying a fortune to stand on a crowded tube or train, wonder whether it is fair. For those who have paid in their taxes, it is frustrating to see others who have newly arrived in the country able to access benefits and services without having paid in. The growth of benefit spending and the rate of migration are both much too fast, and the Government is doing far too little to change either trend. Keir Starmer promised to 'smash the gangs', but the number of people crossing the channel is up nearly a third compared to the same period last year. We recently saw a record smashed for the largest number crossing illegally in one day. Having promised to close migrant hotels, the Government has opened more. Starmer was warned by experts like the former head of Border Force, Tony Smith, that simply trying to improve enforcement would fail, unless factors that pull migrants here are addressed. Migrants know that if they can make it to the UK, they will be allowed to stay. As long as that is true, we'll see more and more coming. Our soft-touch welfare state makes this worse. Every week there is some new example of the abuse of human rights law to allow dangerous people to stay in the UK. A Ugandan murderer who clubbed a man to death in the back of a London ambulance wasn't deported because it would be bad for his mental health. A Pakistani paedophile won the right to stay because he risks being persecuted for his crimes back home. There are 17,428 foreign national offenders living in the UK whose deportation the Home Office considers to be in the public interest, but who have not been deported, and the figure just keeps rising. Meanwhile, spending on sickness and disability benefits is forecast to grow to £100 billion by the end of this parliament, double the rate of 2008. Despite this, the present Government has abandoned plans to tighten the Work Capability Assessment, which means 400,000 more people will be signed off as unfit to work. The Government has also trailed plans to spend a further £3.5 billion a year removing the two-child cap on benefits. Both the explosion of welfare spending and the surging numbers arriving in small boats are driven by the same rights culture. Sadly, we have a PM who is a human rights lawyer, who used to sign letters opposing the deportation of criminals. As long as he's in office, the bills for those who play by the rules will just keep on rising. Neil O'Brien is the Conservative MP for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston and is a shadow education minister Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Record
Angela Rayner accuses Reform of 'politics of hatred' as she insists Labour can win bitter Holyrood by-election
EXCLUSIVE: The Deputy Prime Minister launched an attack on Reform and dismissed claims the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election is a two-horse race between the SNP and Nigel Farage's right wing party. Angela Rayner has accused Nigel Farage 's Reform of the 'politics of hatred' as she insisted Labour will win a bitter Holyrood by-election. Labour's deputy prime minister accused Reform of running a 'disgusting' campaign and blasted critics of party candidate Davy Russell as 'classist'. Rayner, who left school at 16 after becoming pregnant, compared criticism of him to the snobs who mocked her when she entered Parliament: 'People underestimated me. People are underestimating Davy.' Voters will elect a new MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse on June 5th after one of the ugliest campaigns in living memory. The contest has been dominated by a Reform UK advert which claimed Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar will 'prioritise' Pakistani communities. First Minister John Swinney even declared this week that the by-election is now a two horse race between the SNP and Reform after writing off Labour. In an interview with the Record, Rayner said of the Swinney claim: 'I think that's rubbish. I think we are really close here and it's only Labour that can win this seat.' 'I have been out on the doors. [People] are incredibly enthusiastic.' She said of the Reform ad that Sarwar said was 'blatantly' racist: 'I find it disgusting but I think the Scottish people will make that decision as well and I think they will reject it because that's not the way we are in Scotland. That's certainly not been my experience. 'People pull together in times of difficulties and we don't have nastiness and vileness in that way. That's not the way to run a campaign and it's certainly not the way to win in Scotland.' Rayner, who is to the Left of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said of Reform's politics: 'It's politics of hatred. They try and latch on to people's fears and then try and make people feel like there is a simple solution. There isn't a simple solution to some of the problems we face.' She also pointed out that Reform 's by-election hopeful, Ross Lambie, used to be a Tory: 'The Reform candidate here is a Tory but with a different rosette.' Rayner dismissed Farage, tipped to become the next Prime Minister, as a 'snake oil salesman' and added: 'We have got a person that will say anything to hope they can get into power.' She contrasted Labour trying to sort out the country's problems with claims Reform have made uncontested promises worth billions of pounds: ' Reform want to divide the country. Their economic policy is pretty much Liz Truss policy, which will blow the economy. 'We have started to see some of the benefits. Four interest rate cuts already since Labour took power. We gave a record amount of funding to Scotland.' 'I say to people - stick with Labour. We want to tackle child poverty. We want to improve people's lives. We are doing that through our employment rights bill and we want to deliver for the people of Scotland and the only way to do that is to vote for Labour.' The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government also defended Russell over criticism he has been hiding from the media amid fears he will perform poorly. Critics have accused him of being a 'donkey' who cannot 'string a handful of words together'. Rayner, who grew up in a family on benefits, hit back: 'It's absolutely classist. People under-estimated me and look at what I am delivering. We are already making reforms to housing. We are already bringing our employment rights bill forward.' 'He's a hard grafter and he doesn't deserve to be treated in that way, in a classist way, but I am sure he is going to prove them all wrong.' 'It's just a very outdated view of people from a working class background. I come from a working class background. People work really hard and they over-compensate sometimes for feeling like they are not as good as someone who possibly went to a private school. 'Working class people under promise and over deliver and I'm pretty certain that's where Davy 's going to be.' She also appeared to confirm speculation Labour is considering scrapping the two child benefit cap. 'Any measure that we can provide to bring down child poverty, we will do it,' she said, before adding that the move is not a ' silver bullet '. She promised Record readers the Labour Government will take child poverty as seriously as Tony Blair and Gordon Brown: 'That is the mission of the Labour Government. That is our values. That's what got me into the Labour party in the first place. I will not be the deputy prime minister that doesn't tackle child poverty.' Thomas Kerr, speaking on behalf of Reform said: "We're glad that Angela Rayner's chauffeur has managed to punch Hamilton into Google Maps, just a shame her visit was a disaster from start to finish." "These repeated attacks on Reform UK are nothing more than a deflection tactics from a Labour Party that is having a disastrous campaign. The candidate is in hiding, the Deputy Prime Minister was heckled away, Anas Sarwar can't remember his candidates name and their polling has fallen through the floor." "Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse have a choice next week - chaos with SNP and Labour or a fresh start with Reform UK." An SNP Spokesperson said: "It's unclear how the Deputy Prime Minister draws her mistaken conclusion based on a five minute trip to Hamilton. 'And taking her lead from their invisible candidate, she did all she could to avoid speaking to the media altogether. "It's been very obvious for some time that the Labour Party has all but given up in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse. "The Labour Party is all over the place and even they know this by-election is now a two horse race between the SNP and Reform. Only the SNP can stop Farage on 5th June."
The National
3 days ago
- Politics
- The National
What I saw during Angela Rayner's farcical visit to Scotland
Welcome to this week's Branch Office Updates. It's Xander Elliards here stepping in for James Walker this week. KARL Marx's famous maxim states that history repeats, first as tragedy, second as farce. In the case of Angela Rayner's recent visits to Scotland, it's been farce both times. Thursday's not-at-all-publicised visit north of the Border was a case in point. At first, Labour had ungraciously informed the Scottish media that they would have precisely no access to the Deputy Prime Minister. That would have heralded a repeat of her visit to Govan in January, where no media were allowed to speak to the top Labour MP. That had been reflected by Lisa Nandy's visit to Scotland in March, during which she also spoke to no Scottish media. But as pressure from all quarters grew, Labour were forced into a minor concession, one on which they have leant before and no doubt will again. READ MORE: How is Labour's Hamilton by-election campaign so bad? Rayner would now speak to a select few members of the broadcast media, we were told. PA – the news wire which shares its writing with other outlets – would also be allowed to ask just two questions. However, Scottish newspapers would not be allowed anywhere near the Deputy Prime Minister (except, it later transpired, the Labour-friendly Daily Record ... who just backed the SNP in the by-election. Awkward ...) Labour would then be able to deny allegations that Rayner had not spoken to any Scottish media, and deny allegations that she had not spoken to any Scottish newspapers. As The National reported just weeks ago, that was exactly what Chancellor Rachel Reeves did during her own visit north of the Border. Rachel Reeves refused to speak to any Scottish newspapers during her visit to a whisky distillery in May (Image: Andrew Milligan) Unhappy with yet another snub to the Scottish media – despite what Labour may call it – The National decided to turn up at the party's Hamilton by-election campaign office and ask Rayner some questions anyway. When I arrived in Hamilton at 1pm on Thursday – a little ahead of time – it was quickly apparent that we were far from the only people with the idea of 'doorstepping' the Deputy Prime Minister. The Labour campaign office was essentially besieged by pro-Palestine protesters, who I'm told had learned of the visit early that morning and pulled together a last-minute demonstration. 'Resisting genocide is human' is written on the ground in front of Labour activists, who had been asked to make a wall between Labour's campaign office and the pro-Palestine protest (Image: NQ) Chants of 'Rayner, Rayner you can't hide, you're supporting genocide' were echoing up the streets of the Scottish town. As it turns out, however, Rayner very much can hide. And that's just what she did. In what can only be described as a humiliation for the Labour deputy, she was reduced to scarpering away and answering the few questions she had agreed to from the lawn of a private residence in a small village outside Hamilton. It seemed that, with the campaign office surrounded by Palestine protesters deemed too embarrassing for Rayner, Labour's 'backroom boys' (as former shadow chancellor John McDonnell called them) were unable to find anywhere else willing to host her – at such short notice anyway. Rayner was then forced to utter half-hearted claims that she hadn't run away from pro-Palestine protesters literally miles away from the pro-Palestine protesters she ran away from. For posterity's sake: the Deputy First Minister spoke to PA – who Labour had decided would question Rayner in place of all of Scotland's print media (bar the Record) – for less than one minute. The National was then allowed two questions, which lasted slightly longer but saw Rayner say the same amount of nothing. The continuing message is clear: UK Labour have simply no time – and no respect – for Scotland's print media.
North Wales Chronicle
3 days ago
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
Labour's Hamilton by-election candidate ‘in it to win it', says Rayner
The Deputy Prime Minister visited the Holyrood constituency to campaign on Thursday, but protesters forced her to change the location of planned media interviews. Voters go to the polls on June 5 in the by-election in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse constituency, which was called following the death of SNP MSP Christina McKelvie. SNP leader John Swinney has appealed to Labour supporters to back his party in order to defeat Nigel Farage's Reform. Scottish Labour's campaign for the seat has also come under scrutiny as candidate Davy Russell refused to take part in a TV debate ahead of the ballot and did not appear on a morning radio show. Speaking to journalists during her trip, Ms Rayner said Mr Russell is a 'local person who has lived here all his life, he really believes in championing his community'. Asked about suggestions Labour could finish third behind Reform, she said: 'Davy Russell's in it to win it. He wants to be here, not for the short-term, but he's been serving his community here for 45 years. 'Once the by-election is over, he'll be here still serving his community, that's what this campaign is about, it's a grassroots campaign.' The Deputy Prime Minister said she has not seen a campaign video by Reform attacking Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and accusing him of prioritising the Pakistani community. The online ad – which the SNP and Labour have demanded be removed by Meta – shows clips of Mr Sarwar calling for more representation of Scots with south Asian heritage, although he did not say he would prioritise any one group. Ms Rayner repeated her attacks on Mr Farage, calling him a 'snake oil salesman that just wants to sow division'. Reform UK has defended the video and said it was merely highlighting Mr Sarwar's own words. Asked about the protests which led to her planned media interviews moving locations, Ms Rayner said: 'I know that those protesters are upset about what's happening in the situation in Gaza, and that situation is intolerable, and I completely understand why people are upset about that.'
Leader Live
3 days ago
- Politics
- Leader Live
Labour's Hamilton by-election candidate ‘in it to win it', says Rayner
The Deputy Prime Minister visited the Holyrood constituency to campaign on Thursday, but protesters forced her to change the location of planned media interviews. Voters go to the polls on June 5 in the by-election in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse constituency, which was called following the death of SNP MSP Christina McKelvie. SNP leader John Swinney has appealed to Labour supporters to back his party in order to defeat Nigel Farage's Reform. Scottish Labour's campaign for the seat has also come under scrutiny as candidate Davy Russell refused to take part in a TV debate ahead of the ballot and did not appear on a morning radio show. Speaking to journalists during her trip, Ms Rayner said Mr Russell is a 'local person who has lived here all his life, he really believes in championing his community'. Asked about suggestions Labour could finish third behind Reform, she said: 'Davy Russell's in it to win it. He wants to be here, not for the short-term, but he's been serving his community here for 45 years. 'Once the by-election is over, he'll be here still serving his community, that's what this campaign is about, it's a grassroots campaign.' The Deputy Prime Minister said she has not seen a campaign video by Reform attacking Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and accusing him of prioritising the Pakistani community. The online ad – which the SNP and Labour have demanded be removed by Meta – shows clips of Mr Sarwar calling for more representation of Scots with south Asian heritage, although he did not say he would prioritise any one group. Ms Rayner repeated her attacks on Mr Farage, calling him a 'snake oil salesman that just wants to sow division'. Reform UK has defended the video and said it was merely highlighting Mr Sarwar's own words. Asked about the protests which led to her planned media interviews moving locations, Ms Rayner said: 'I know that those protesters are upset about what's happening in the situation in Gaza, and that situation is intolerable, and I completely understand why people are upset about that.'
