The working-age benefits bill is projected to reach £136.1billion in 2026-27 – almost £50billion higher in real terms than in 2019-20.
Sir Iain said: “Britain’s immigration and welfare systems were founded on the expectation that those arriving here should be able to support themselves and their families.
“But at a time when families and businesses are being clobbered with yet more taxes, many will be deeply concerned at the extent to which governments have let unconstrained immigration drive up the welfare bill.
“We must urgently now restore contribution and reciprocity to the welfare system while helping the millions of Brits on out-of-work benefits back towards a better future for themselves and their families. We have done this before, we can do it again.”
A Government spokesman said: “The vast majority of this country’s workforce is made up of UK nationals, and we have introduced a number of changes including a new skills-based migration system to put British workers first and welcome the high-skilled talent that our economy needs.
“We are also reforming the welfare system by creating almost a million work opportunities for young people through our youth guarantee, while investing £3.5billion to help disabled people and those with long-term health conditions move closer to the labour market.”
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