- Reform UK has announced it will prioritise British-born workers under 35 and married couples with children for social housing, placing foreign-born UK citizens lower on the list.
- Richard Tice, Reform's deputy leader, will unveil plans to build 50,000 affordable social homes annually during a news conference on Monday.
- Labour and other parties have criticized Reform's plan, calling it 'unserious and unworkable' and a 'cruel gimmick'.
- Reform previously announced it would evict foreign nationals from social housing, a move criticized by housing charity Shelter.
- Reform estimates that 540,000 social homes are currently occupied by foreign nationals.
- UK or Irish nationals made up 88.5% of main social home householders in 2024/25, according to the English Housing Survey.
- Experts have warned that prioritising people based on nationality, age, and family status could punish vulnerable groups in society.
- Sarah Elliott, chief executive of the charity Shelter, stated that the plans are designed to stoke division and could disrupt the lives of thousands of families.
Reform UK has unveiled a controversial plan to prioritize British-born citizens under 35 and married couples with children for social housing, effectively placing foreign-born UK citizens lower on the list.145
The party's deputy leader, Richard Tice, stated, "It is time for us to prioritise young British workers, and that is what our policy is about." The proposal aims to build 50,000 affordable social homes annually without imposing new taxes or borrowing.2
Critics, including a Labour spokesperson, have labeled the plan as "unserious and unworkable," arguing it targets long-term UK residents who have contributed to society, such as NHS staff.3
According to the English Housing Survey, UK or Irish nationals constituted 88.5% of main social home householders in 2024/25, leaving 11.5% as non-UK or Irish nationals. Reform estimates that 540,000 social homes are currently occupied by foreign nationals.6
The party's policy would also ban foreign nationals from social housing, with those already residing in homes given three months to find private accommodation or face deportation.
Sarah Elliott, chief executive of the charity Shelter, criticized the plan, stating, "Designed to stoke division, these plans will only serve to disrupt the lives of thousands of families, tear communities apart, and put even more people at risk of homelessness."8
The new rules would require legislation to avoid breaking existing laws, and some foreign-born Britons may be exempted, including those born while their British parents were temporarily overseas.
“Reform's plan would also build 50,000 affordable social homes a year, funded without new taxes or borrowing, according to deputy leader Richard Tice. Labour criticizes the policy as 'unserious and unworkable', targeting long-term UK residents like NHS staff who are not British citizens.”
The Guardian
