‘If they can’t speak English…’: Tommy Robinson slams £12 million going to translators for migrants in UK

A row erupted over the rising cost of translators in the UK benefits system after far-right, anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson accused the government of wasting millions of pounds of public money on people who "can't speak English."

In a post on X, Robinson criticised the use of taxpayer-funded interpreters for migrants and pushed for their deportation: “If they can't speak English, then they shouldn't be here anyway. Absolute p***take. Deport.”


His comments came as a new report called for migrants to be banned from using free translation services when claiming benefits. The study was published by the Policy Exchange think tank, according to the Daily Mail. It argues that the ability to speak English should be a basic requirement or bare minimum for accessing the welfare system.


The report follows a surge in benefit claims and says the government should stop offering free translators in most civil cases. It describes the benefits system as part of a “social contract” with society and its people, adding: “Part of this is the ability to converse in the official, national language.”

According to official figures cited in the study, spending on translation services in civil cases rose by 80 per cent in the three years after the Covid-19 pandemic, reaching £12.8 million last year.

Claimants are currently entitled to free translation to help them appeal decisions denying benefits such as Personal Independence Payment and Employment and Support Allowance.

Should claimants pay for their own translators?

The report also says that in future, claimants who cannot speak English should be expected to pay for their own interpreters. It recommends that free translation should remain only for deaf people and for criminal cases, where “freedom and liberty are on the line”.

The proposal is to curb the growing welfare bill and reduce the influence of courts over benefit rules. The report argues that courts have gradually expanded the rules on who qualifies for benefits, driving up overall costs. It says Parliament has failed to assert control, with MPs unwilling to reverse decisions made by judges.

Spending on sickness and disability benefits alone is forecast to exceed £100 billion by the end of the decade. More than 300,000 young people are now receiving sickness benefits that do not require them to look for work, double the figure from five years ago.

Tribunals hear thousands of benefit appeals each year, and the study found that the majority succeed, with up to 75 per cent of decisions overturned in some courts.

The report estimates that £750 million a year could be saved by tightening rules around mental health claims linked to travel difficulties.

Tommy Robinson's on immigration

Tommy Robinson is known for his strong opposition to immigration, especially from Muslim-majority countries. He argues that mass migration compromises British identity, security, and social cohesion. In September, Robinson led major anti-immigration rallies in London that included tens of thousands of supporters and sometimes turned violent.