Reform UK pledges to prioritise ‘British-born workers’ for social housing

Reform UK has announced plans to overhaul the way social housing is allocated, with British-born workers under the age of 35 among those who would receive greater priority if the party entered government.

Under the proposals, priority would also be given to married couples with children and military veterans, while people receiving benefits would be placed lower on waiting lists.

The plans are expected to be formally set out by Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice and form part of the party’s wider approach to social housing and immigration.

Reform says there are around 1.3 million households waiting for social housing and argues that younger working people are struggling to find affordable homes and establish independent lives.

Tice said the party wanted to prioritise young British workers, arguing that many working young adults cannot afford to leave their family homes or are forced to live in shared accommodation.

Reports on the policy indicate that British citizenship alone would not necessarily guarantee the same level of priority. British citizens who were born overseas would generally be given lower priority than those born in the UK, although an exception is expected for people born abroad to British parents who were temporarily overseas.

The latest announcement follows Reform UK’s previous pledge to prevent foreign nationals from accessing social housing. The party has claimed around 540,000 social homes are currently occupied by foreign citizens and has proposed requiring foreign nationals already living in social housing to move into private accommodation.

Reform says its housing plans would also include building 50,000 affordable homes each year.

The proposals have attracted criticism from political opponents and housing organisations.

Labour described the plans as unworkable and said existing rules already restrict access to social housing. A party spokesperson also warned that changes affecting long-term residents who are not British citizens could include people who have worked and contributed to the UK for years, including NHS staff.

Housing charity Shelter has also criticised the proposals, warning that allocating homes according to characteristics such as birthplace rather than housing need could disadvantage vulnerable people.

The proposals remain Reform UK policy rather than changes to the current social housing system and would require changes to legislation if the party entered government and sought to implement them.

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