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Pension Credit: Foreign Nationals

Asked by Helen WhatelyConservativeDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled Answered 4 February 2026UIN 108262

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many non-UK nationals have received Pension Credit for the following financial years a) 2024/25 b) 2025/2026, and what was the total value of Pension Credit paid to those non-UK nationals in each of those financial years.

Answered by Torsten Bell

The requested statistics are not held by the Department.

Entitlement to Pension Credit depends on a person’s residence or immigration status, including the requirement to have the right to reside and to be able to be treated as factually habitually resident in Great Britain. Foreign nationals must also have an immigration status that gives access to public funds, which most will not have until they have lived in the UK for at least 5 years.

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