Reform, UK Proposes Ban on Most Benefits for Foreign Nationals

Reform UK has announced a plan to stop most foreign nationals from claiming welfare benefits if the party wins the next general election.

The ban would cover almost all benefit payments, including:

· Universal Credit

· Housing Benefit

· Pension Credit

· Jobseeker's Allowance

· Child Benefit

· Free childcare

· Disability benefits

The plan would also apply to EU citizens with settled status in the UK. This means the party would need to renegotiate the Brexit deal with the European Union.

How much would it save?

Reform UK claims the policy would save £21 billion a year by its fifth year. The party says it has a 50-page plan to cut the total welfare bill by £50 billion a year.

Why is Reform UK proposing this?

Robert Jenrick, Reform's Treasury spokesman, said: "Forcing British workers to pay for the benefits of foreigners is not just economically illiterate but plain immoral". He added that British taxpayers "cannot afford to subsidise everyone on the planet".

Who would be exempt?

Only a small number of exemptions would apply, including the War Widows Pension and Armed Forces compensation.

What are other parties saying?

· Labour said the plans would "plunge the UK back into years of Brexit renegotiations" and strip support from millions who have "lawfully lived, worked and paid taxes in Britain for years".

· The Conservatives dismissed the plans as "cobbled together".

· The Liberal Democrats said the best way to reduce the welfare bill is to fix the NHS and social care.

· The Greens called the plan "cowardly" and said the government should tax the super wealthy instead.

What happens next?

Reform UK's shadow chancellor, Robert Jenrick, is expected to formally unveil the party's welfare plans on Monday. The party admits the policy could face delays because it would require renegotiating the post-Brexit withdrawal agreement with the EU.

This article is based on reports from BBC News, The Guardian, LBC and other news sources.