The cost of providing translation and interpreter services for foreign benefit claimants has nearly doubled in just a few years, with taxpayers picking up a £12.9 million bill last year.
Year-on-year, the bill has risen from £2.7 million in 2019-20, and assistance for claimants who cannot speak English increased from £6.9 million in 2023-24, according to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Interpretation costs made up the largest share, accounting for £6.2 million in 2023-24.
Claimant statistics and legal duty
Around one in six Universal Credit claimants — 1.3 million — were foreign nationals in February. Three-fifths were EEA citizens eligible to claim benefits under the EU settlement scheme, while the remainder were eligible either because they have humanitarian, refugee, indefinite leave to remain, or limited leave to remain status, including family reunion status.
The DWP has a legal duty to provide spoken and written language services to those who do not speak English as a first language or have hearing impairments under the Equality Act. The proportion of annual interpreter and translation costs for deaf and hard of hearing people in 2025 is 17%, the government said.
Reaction from campaign groups and politicians
William Yarwood, campaigns director at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: “Taxpayers will be alarmed that the bill for translation and interpretation at the DWP has more than doubled in just a few years. Support such as British Sign Language is clearly necessary, but ministers should separate those costs from foreign-language services, which are rising due to years of low-quality mass migration.”
He added: “Clamping down on claims for foreign nationals would protect the benefits system and help cut the translation bill taxpayers are being asked to fund.”
Robert Jenrick, Reform UK MP for Newark, said: “This is yet another example of successive Tory and Labour governments’ insane waste of taxpayers’ money. A Reform government would stop handing out benefits to foreign nationals and prioritise British citizens. Those who enter our country should speak English and be here to work, not leech off British taxpayers.”
Government response
A Government spokesperson said: “It is right that we support benefit customers to improve their chances of finding work. Help is on offer regardless of nationality, and some people who are deaf or hard of hearing rely on our translation services. Net migration continues to fall under this Government, helping to ease pressure on housing, the NHS and other public services.”
They added that net migration continued to fall under the Labour Government and is now 82% below its 2023 peak, helping to ease pressure on housing, the NHS and public services. The government has also raised the Skilled Worker visa to degree level, raised salary thresholds, and raised the English language requirement to A level equivalent. More than 100 occupations have been denied access to overseas recruitment, and the Immigration Skills Charge has increased to invest in domestic training.
The government stressed it provides support services to enable customers to access the benefits and other DWP services they are entitled to.
