Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has launched a bombshell immigration shake-up that slashes welfare and social housing access to British citizens only. Her “Fairer Way to Settlement” plan, unveiled in Parliament on November 20, 2025, will hit around 1.6 million migrants who arrived after 2021 – with many facing a much longer wait to settle permanently in the UK.
Years-Long Waits for Settlement
Currently, migrants can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after five years – opening the door to benefits like Universal Credit. Mahmood’s new rules turn ILR into an “earned privilege,” based on factors like employment, earnings, English skills, and volunteering. Benefits and social housing will only be open to full British citizens, who must wait an additional 1-3 years after ILR to apply.
Enver Solomon, Refugee Council CEO: “Instead of deterring, it leaves people in intense anxiety for many, many years.”
