Kemi Badenoch on Tuesday presented a Tory plan to cut £36 billion a year from the welfare bill—repeating pledges already public in October, while stopping short of Reform UK’s proposed restrictions on foreign-national claimants.
The BBC’s Chris Mason on October 7 already reported the £36 billion annual target, including £9.5 billion from foreign-national claims, £4.5 billion from housing-benefit changes, and £3.1 billion from reintroducing the two-child limit. On October 8, Helen Whately wrote: “Last year I found @KemiBadenoch £23 billion of welfare savings. Now, it’s £36 billion.”
Last year I found @KemiBadenoch £23 billion of welfare savings.
Now, it's £36 billion.
So we can cut taxes, bring down the deficit and invest 3% of GDP in Defence. pic.twitter.com/xhRYj36HWl
— Helen Whately MP (@Helen_Whately) October 8, 2026
Pledges to move responsibility for fit notes—medical certification of fitness for work—away from general practitioners, and to create a Get to Work program, were also announced at that conference.
Richard Tice, Reform’s deputy leader, responded to advance Telegraph coverage before Badenoch’s speech, saying the Tories had allowed welfare costs to “SOAR” and were “copying Reform again.”
Tories allowed welfare costs to SOAR
Reform announced cuts to benefits – over £40 billion per year
Now Tories copying Reform again!
Never forget what Tories did
Never forgive
— Richard Tice MP 🇬🇧 (@TiceRichard) November 10, 2026
The EU Exception.
Both parties propose citizenship-based restrictions on benefits. A naturalized British citizen would remain entitled: the distinction is citizenship, not immigrant origin.
But the Conservatives’ restriction exempts EU Settlement Scheme holders, whose status provides residence rights rather than British citizenship. The citizenship policy dates to the October 2025 conference, with the EU exception set out in the party’s Alternative King’s Speech in May.
Badenoch defended that exception at Tuesday’s press conference, accusing Reform of failing to consider the consequences: “They haven’t done the homework, they haven’t looked at the impact. They’re just randomly ripping out a contract with the EU settled citizens here … We are doing things the right way.” She pointed to treaty obligations with the European Union.
Reform’s “Making Welfare Work” plan, published August 17, would cover both new and existing claimants, including EU Settlement Scheme holders. It proposes renegotiating the treaty and claims £21 billion in annual savings by 2029/30, compared with the Conservatives’ £9.5 billion estimate. Irish citizens would remain outside Reform’s restriction under its Common Travel Area exception.
Where the Plans Match—and Differ.
Both parties would reinstate the two-child benefit limit. The Conservatives claim £3.1 billion in annual savings. That is the same policy that Reform adopted in February.
Reform additionally proposes requiring work-capable claimants who have received benefits for more than a year to undertake 20 hours a week in placements assigned by local councils. The Conservatives have not proposed an equivalent work requirement.
The Conservatives’ £36 billion annual target is framed for the end of the next parliament. Reform claims £50 billion a year, rising to £53 billion by 2030/31 in its table, assuming implementation this fiscal year.
