Reform UK has proposed giving British-born workers under the age of 35 greater priority for social housing as part of a wider plan to overhaul how homes are allocated.
The party says young British workers, married couples with children, veterans and people in employment should move higher up social housing waiting lists, while it has also pledged to build 50,000 affordable social homes a year.
Deputy leader Richard Tice is setting out the proposals as Reform seeks to make housing and access to public services a central part of its domestic policy platform.
Priority for young workers and families
Under the proposals, British-born workers aged under 35 would be prioritised for social housing, alongside married couples with children and former members of the armed forces.
Reform has also said people in work should receive greater priority, arguing that the current system does not sufficiently reward employment or help younger people struggling with high rents and the cost of buying a home.
Tice said the policy was intended to prioritise young British workers who are finding it increasingly difficult to secure affordable housing.
50,000 affordable homes a year
Reform has pledged to build 50,000 affordable social homes each year under the policy.
The party says the programme could be delivered without additional taxation or government borrowing, although detailed costings and funding arrangements will be important to assessing how the proposal would operate in practice.
The housing commitment comes amid sustained pressure on social housing supply and long waiting lists across England.
Foreign nationals would receive lower priority
The new allocation policy follows Reform’s existing pledge to restrict access to social housing for foreign nationals.
The party has previously said it would seek to remove foreign nationals from existing social housing after a grace period, a proposal which has drawn criticism from political opponents and housing organisations.
Under the latest plans, British citizens born overseas would also generally receive lower priority than British-born applicants, although Reform has indicated there would be exceptions for people born abroad to British parents who were temporarily overseas.
Any attempt to introduce birth-based distinctions into social housing allocation would require changes to the existing legal framework.
Labour calls plan 'unserious and unworkable'
Labour has criticised Reform’s proposals, describing them as “unserious and unworkable”.
A Labour spokesperson accused the party of promoting “gimmicks and division” and argued that the policy could disadvantage long-term UK residents who have contributed to the country, including people working in public services.
The Government has also pointed out that access to social housing is already subject to eligibility rules, with groups including illegal migrants, asylum seekers and many people in the UK on temporary visas unable to qualify in the same way as eligible residents.
Housing becomes a growing political battleground
Reform’s announcement places social housing allocation alongside immigration, welfare and employment as a key dividing line between the party and its opponents.
The proposals combine an expansion of housing supply with a significant change to who Reform believes should receive priority for the available stock.
The political argument is therefore likely to focus both on whether the proposed 50,000 homes a year can be funded as claimed and on the legal and practical consequences of prioritising applicants according to birthplace, employment and family status.