The majority of immigrants have no recourse to public funds.

Study-related (34%) — Generally not eligible. Annual NHS surcharge of £470 has to be paid by the immigrant..

Work-related (29%) — Generally not eligible for benefits until indefinite leave to remain is granted. Currently takes a minimum of 5 years. Annual NHS surcharge of £1,000 has to be paid by the immigrant.

Family-related (18%) — Generally not eligible. Annual NHS surcharge of £1,000 has to be paid by the immigrant.

Humanitarian/asylum — (7%) — Have access to certain benefits. Receive limited Home Office support (not standard welfare).

Other (12%) — Eligibility varies by status.

Source: Office for National Statistics (2025)

Posted By: The Gaffer on June 3rd 2026 at 18:15:45

Message Thread

Good representation of where public spending goes on this website (General Chat) - Knitted Jesus, Jun 3, 12:13:32
- Not nearly enough on public sector pensions. (General Chat) - Snakepit Divorceee, Jun 3, 17:30:25
  - Haha rage baiting gold 🏆 (n/m) (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 18:49:10
- That is genuinely interesting and shows the real challenges, and why (General Chat) - megson, Jun 3, 14:07:14
- reading below , and a lot of posts are about pensioners (General Chat) - ghostof barry butler, Jun 3, 13:41:28
  - I don't think it will be ours though will it. It's just not sustainable (General Chat) - Knitted Jesus, Jun 3, 13:58:08
- I blame the pensioners (n/m) (General Chat) - Klobo04, Jun 3, 12:33:52
  - Was just about to say they’re a massive issue (General Chat) - SCC 28, Jun 3, 12:40:20
    - Prison abolition? (General Chat) - Ottosson Foxtrot, Jun 3, 13:11:00
      - Hehe (n/m) (General Chat) - Augustus Pablo, Jun 3, 20:43:33
- Public spending is going on this website? (General Chat) - Ottosson Foxtrot, Jun 3, 12:29:57
  - under Welfare (n/m) (General Chat) - Jumbo1, Jun 3, 12:31:38
- Yes it makes you think (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 12:27:11
  - Ban it all and scrap the free NHS etc 🇺🇸 (n/m) (General Chat) - footymadman, Jun 3, 18:16:51
  - yup, and yet those pensioners make up the core Reform voter base (n/m) (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 12:44:51
    - Triple lock needs to go (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 13:05:50
      - i would do this (General Chat) - Tony Martin, Jun 3, 13:27:37
        
        Re: solar and renewables (General Chat) - APB, Jun 3, 15:52:06
        
        its huge. I'm CFO of a company in the renewable energy sector (General Chat) - Tony Martin, Jun 3, 17:01:41
        
        For some reason I read that with the headvoice of Billy Bleach from The Fast Show (General Chat) - Ken Dodds Dads Dog, Jun 3, 14:29:49
        
        Motability is such a red herring (General Chat) - CWC, Jun 3, 14:18:49
        
        Of course he didn't report her. She's not Johnny Foreigner. (n/m) (General Chat) - Henclrikus, Jun 3, 14:27:56
        
        urm i actually did (General Chat) - Tony Martin, Jun 3, 14:58:14
        
        What did she say was wrong with her? (n/m) (General Chat) - jamesward, Jun 3, 15:45:31
        
        New drilling in the North Sea won't make a difference: (General Chat) - Knitted Jesus, Jun 3, 13:38:59
        
        everybody says it will be traded globally ... why (General Chat) - ghostof barry butler, Jun 3, 15:06:29
        
        Because (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 16:30:14
        
        Well I guess the options are (General Chat) - Knitted Jesus, Jun 3, 16:07:48
        
        Probably not in a hurry (n/m) (General Chat) - APB, Jun 3, 15:53:33
        
        interesting, will have a look. If traded globally surely that's more income for the gov (n/m) (General Chat) - Tony Martin, Jun 3, 13:41:50
        
        Well maxing out existing fields could increase govt tax revenues (General Chat) - Knitted Jesus, Jun 3, 16:03:24
        
        So you'd deprive any johnny-foreigner of benefits (General Chat) - Henclrikus, Jun 3, 13:38:36
        
        Yes I would absolutely deprive Johnny Foreigner from benefits (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 13:55:44
        
        The majority of immigrants have no recourse to public funds. (General Chat) - The Gaffer, Jun 3, 18:15:45
        
        “The idea of importing people from overseas” (General Chat) - APB, Jun 3, 15:58:37
        
        It’s a factual statement of affairs (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 16:15:38
        
        “Hurty words”. FFS. That’s not what I said at all. (General Chat) - APB, Jun 3, 21:15:22
        
        Glad you are no longer a teacher (n/m) (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 21:41:24
        
        Because I believe in the truth? Wow. (General Chat) - APB, Jun 3, 21:46:59
        
        Your idea of the truth (n/m) (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 22:04:21
        
        Good grief (n/m) (General Chat) - APB, Jun 3, 22:30:52
        
        British people don’t want to wipe arses or pick fruit and veg (n/m) (General Chat) - jamesward, Jun 3, 15:48:41
        
        This is true and it’s part of a much bigger conversation (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 16:18:53
        
        "The benefits system is now a lifestyle choice for many Brits" (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 16:31:57
        
        Are you really asking this question? (n/m) (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 16:38:50
        
        Yes. What's the answer? (n/m) (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 16:51:54
        
        Consider me unsurprised that you aren't basing it on any evidence (n/m) (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 17:41:36
        
        I will provide personal experience (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 18:38:07
        
        so would you say that for your sister in law it's a lifestyle choice? (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 20:36:23
        
        It’s a lifestyle choice and a financial choice (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 20:55:16
        
        Keir Starmer seems to think so, but what does he know? (General Chat) - paulg, Jun 3, 17:17:35
        
        What did he actually say? (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 17:30:14
        
        You tend to think he's wrong on most other things tbf (General Chat) - jamesward, Jun 3, 17:20:51
        
        Well, it would be a curious thing for the PM to get so very wrong, no? (General Chat) - paulg, Jun 3, 17:30:10
        
        To be fair he does say "some" (General Chat) - jamesward, Jun 3, 17:32:27
        
        No, that's not a quote from the article (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 17:33:47
        
        It's behind a Times paywall, but this from ChatGPT (General Chat) - jamesward, Jun 3, 17:42:37
        
        right. So no evidence so far that he said benefits are a lifestyle choice for many Brits (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 17:47:37
        
        I don't have access to the article, which was in the Times (General Chat) - paulg, Jun 3, 18:48:43
        
        So no evidence (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 20:39:49
        
        🤦‍♂️ (n/m) (General Chat) - paulg, Jun 3, 21:00:38
        
        Anecdotal “evidence” isn’t enough to form a base for government policy (General Chat) - APB, Jun 3, 21:44:34
        
        For gods sake, this is a message board, not a parliamentary committee (General Chat) - paulg, Jun 3, 22:21:37
        
        I do agree with you (General Chat) - SCC 28, Jun 3, 22:35:27
        
        .... (General Chat) - paulg, Jun 3, 22:28:41
        
        Yeah, whatever (General Chat) - APB, Jun 3, 22:34:10
        
        I do think many are rather naive about things (General Chat) - SCC 28, Jun 3, 22:42:59
        
        Why is the welfare bill increasing so rapidly? (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 18:43:29
        
        I'd need to spend time looking at the data. but I would guess it's (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 20:38:01
        
        Agree an ageing population is a (n/m) (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 20:56:19
        
        a major contributor (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 20:57:42
        
        What did he say? (n/m) (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 17:30:30
        
        I asked the Office for National Statistics (General Chat) - jamesward, Jun 3, 16:46:17
        
        not my relative. and if you see I was criticising her and the scheme. (General Chat) - Tony Martin, Jun 3, 13:40:45
        
        😂 🎩👆🏼 (n/m) (General Chat) - JD3, Jun 3, 13:47:57
  - Too many old people (n/m) (General Chat) - jamesward, Jun 3, 12:37:17
    - C.f. Logan's Run (n/m) (General Chat) - Under soil heating, Jun 3, 13:24:58
    - bring in compulsory executions at 70 years old. You get 2 years of fun then off you go (n/m) (General Chat) - Tony Martin, Jun 3, 12:54:10
      - what about old people who worked, saved and can pay their way? (General Chat) - paulg, Jun 3, 13:30:21
        
        tough (General Chat) - CWC, Jun 3, 15:12:49
        
        they'll cost the NHS though. Maybe I would consider it if they pay for private healthcare (n/m) (General Chat) - Tony Martin, Jun 3, 13:32:02
    - Indeed - "benefits" paid to working age people are basically just subsidies to businesses (General Chat) - mr carra, Jun 3, 12:48:33
      - Agreed, a ridiculous situation (n/m) (General Chat) - phrankin, Jun 3, 20:22:47
    - Maybe this is explains the plan. Destroy the NHS, people stop living as long, (General Chat) - Legacy Fan, Jun 3, 12:45:17
    - says grandad (n/m) (General Chat) - camcan, Jun 3, 12:40:20
      - Haha, and I took my NHS pension early (n/m) (General Chat) - jamesward, Jun 3, 12:59:20
    - This is a key problem (General Chat) - Knitted Jesus, Jun 3, 12:40:02
      - Stop the pensioners (n/m) (General Chat) - SCC 28, Jun 3, 12:48:30

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