Only British Citizens should get Benefits
- Alistair McConnachie
- 20 minutes ago
- 6 min read
A Force For Good took this photograph of a sticker outside a pub in Dover, the day we launched Protect our Country: Policies to Stop Mass Immigration, Saturday 19 July 2025.
Not many people know this, but right now, you don't need to be a British citizen to get full access to the British benefit system. You either need to be an official "Refugee" or a legal immigrant who has been here for 5 years and who has successfully applied for "Indefinite Leave to Remain" (Leave means "permission".)
Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) – which at present every legal immigrant can apply for after 5 years only helps the immigrant. It does nothing for the rest of society. It does not add any value to the rest of society.
All it means, is that if the legal immigrant who has been here for 5 years duly gets "Indefinite Leave to Remain" and then say, becomes unemployed, then they will have automatic access to all the benefits that a British Citizen has.
In other words, it is only a potential expense for the rest of society.
Now Shabana Mahmood, recognising that this costs the taxpayers billions of pounds, has quite rightly proposed extending the time before you can apply from 5 years to 15 years. Inevitably, voices in the Labour Party are kicking up a fuss. Angela Raynor wants "Care workers" to be excluded from this requirement.
But why?
Why are we granting it to anyone?
There is no reason to grant it at all, to anyone, ever.
Arguments for it can only be made from the perspective of the legal immigrant, who potentially gets money from it.
So, we have to ask:
WHY DO WE EVEN HAVE "INDEFINITE LEAVE TO REMAIN"?
Why do we lavish all these benefits on huge numbers of people just because they've lived here for 5 years?
Who knows, is the answer!
This questionable concept was introduced by Edward Heath's Conservative government in the 1971 Immigration Act. It's well past its sell-by date, if it ever had one!
Instead, today, we should expect every immigrant to pay their own way.
It doesn't matter how many years you've lived here; you should not get any benefits of citizenship until you actually become a Citizen – and citizenship should be made much hard to get.
That's how most people imagine the system works anyway.
There is no need for this costly and unnecessary, and nation-changing "Indefinite Leave to Remain" concept.
Therefore, we propose that ILR should be abolished, and the system should be simplified as follow.
SIMPLE NEW CONCEPT: CONTINGENT RESIDENCE
In future, every immigrant in the UK, from day one onwards, should be considered to be here on a "contingent" basis – contingent on the specific requirements of them fulfilling their visa requirements, and contingent on them looking after themselves.
We could call this "Contingent Residence", or "Contingent Leave to Remain". There should be no access to any benefits of the State until the person becomes a British Citizen.
As we say, this is how most people instinctively presume the system works, anyway!
Citizenship should only be allowed after 25 years of unbroken, legal, contingent residence in the UK.
This means that prior to citizenship being granted, the government can, at any time, withdraw your right to live here. There should no longer be any right to permanent settlement, and to enjoy the benefits of the State, except for fully-fledged British Citizens.
For all immigrants, until citizenship, there should be no access to the benefits system, such as Universal Credit or disability benefits.
Until citizenship, there should be no automatic access to social housing or housing benefits. Legal immigrants must be expected to house themselves at their own expense.
Until citizenship, there should be no automatic right to free access to the NHS. A surcharge should continue to be paid. Free access should only come with British Citizenship.
Until citizenship, there should be no access to student loans and grants.
Until citizenship, there should be no access to the State Pension.
Until citizenship, there should be no automatic right for your foreign relations to join you in the UK. Again, this should only become a right under British Citizenship, and even then it should be restricted.
Until citizenship, there should be no automatic right for any of your children born in the UK to automatically become British Citizens, or for you to apply for their Citizenship.
Until citizenship, the subject must remain a net contributor to the public purse, paying in more than taking out. The immigrant's Contingent Residence in the UK should be withdrawn if the person becomes a net recipient of public funds. This will be measured by the income of the person as an average over the previous 5 years.
If they become a net recipient of public funds, their immigration status will become illegal, and they will be asked to leave the country. On failure to leave, they shall be deported to their actual country of citizenship.
This will ensure that if the subject ever applies to become a British Citizen – they will always have been a net contributor to the public purse.
If the subject is found guilty of certain categories of offences including criminal, and driving offences; or fails to pay the NHS surcharge, or any other surcharge required of non-citizens then this will render their immigration status illegal. They will be required to voluntarily leave the UK. On failure to leave, they shall be deported.
And here's something ridiculous...
REFUGEES get BENEFITS FASTER than LEGAL IMMIGRANTS
If you are an asylum seeker – say you came in via the Channel on a dinghy – and you get given Refugee Status – then you automatically get access to the entire benefits system – which a legal immigrant doesn't get until they've been here for 5 years, and then applied for Indefinite Leave to Remain.
Asylum Seekers when they first get here, are not allowed to work, and do not have full access to the benefit system, although they do get limited "asylum support".
However, if their claim to be "persecuted" is accepted, and they are given "Refugee Status" – and are now officially called "Refugees" – then all the welfare benefits of the British State will be opened to them, on the same basis as if they were British Citizens!
That is, once a person has been given Refugee Status then (unlike immigrants on work, study or family visas) they will be able to apply and work in any job, in any profession or skill level.
If they have no skills, they can apply for any benefits they need.
They can access all social security benefits, including Universal Credit, Disability Benefits, Pension Credit, access to Social Housing, Housing Benefits, full access to the NHS without having to pay the "NHS Surcharge" which legal immigrants on work, study or family visas must pay; and they'll be eligible for student loans and grants.
Until recently, they could also bring in immediate family members such as spouse and children under 18, under the "Family Reunion" Scheme, although that is currently being adjusted.
So here's a good question!
How on earth have we got to the situation where you'll get full access to the benefits system quicker if you cross the Channel in a dinghy, hang about in a hotel for a few months, and then get given official Refugee Status – than if you enter as a legal immigrant with a work visa!
Why are Refugees given the same rights to the benefit system as British Citizens?
Why are they given these benefits when even the legal immigrants have to wait 5 years and apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain?
Well, technically it is because we are obeying Articles 23 and 24 of the UN Refugee Convention – which basically requires us to do this.
That's why Refugees get access to all benefits faster than legal immigrants, and it's yet another reason why we have to leave the UN Refugee Convention.
Long story short: Only British Citizens should get benefits!
We examine this matter, and propose solutions, in Chapters 7 and 8 of our classic book on the subject Protect our Country: Policies to Stop Mass Immigration available from Amazon.
For more articles on immigration see our Territorial Sovereignty: Article Index
We spoke about this in our weekly Show, "Good Evening Britain" on 19-8-26:
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