Full Breakdown
Public Backing for Disability Benefits Remains Strong Across UK Politics
9/9/2026, 6:46:39 AM
Core Findings of the Survey
The British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey of 4,656 adults across the United Kingdom (August-October 2025) found that only 7 % favoured reducing spending on disability benefits, while 49 % supported increasing that spending even if it meant higher taxes. Support for higher spending appeared across the political spectrum: 40 % of right-leaning voters (Conservative and Reform UK supporters) backed more spending, compared with 57 % of Labour voters. Conversely, just 10 % of Conservative voters and 11 % of Reform UK voters endorsed cuts.
Political Landscape and Recent Policy Moves
Attempts to curtail disability benefits have repeatedly met public resistance. Last year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer withdrew a proposed £5 billion reduction after a rebellion from Labour backbenchers and widespread opposition. The Conservative Party and Reform UK have both signalled ambitions to slash disability-benefit spending—Reform UK pledging a £20 billion cut and the Conservatives targeting savings of up to £23 billion.
Background & Context
The BSA survey is a long-running series that tracks British attitudes on social and political issues since 1983. Its latest release coincided with heightened media attention on the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) programme, following a failed government attempt to tighten eligibility. Welfare spending for working-age adults has hovered just under 5 % of GDP for four decades, rising above that level only during the 1990s, the post-2008 financial crisis, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Data & Statistics
- Respondents surveyed: 4,656 (August–October 2025)
- Support for cuts: 7 %
- Support for increases: 49 % (even with higher taxes)
- Labour voters: 5 % for cuts, 57 % for increases
- Conservative voters: 10 % for cuts, 40 % for increases
- Reform UK voters: 11 % for cuts, 40 % for increases
- PIP claimants (England & Wales): nearly 4 million (July interim report)
- PIP spending: £16.3 billion (2019/20) -> £27.3 billion (2024/25) -> forecast £41.5 billion (2030/31)
Official Statements & Responses
- Sir Stephen Timms, Minister for Social Security and Disability, described the PIP system as “no longer fit for purpose” in an interim report released in July and warned that “fundamental change” is needed to make it financially sustainable. He noted that the impact on claimant numbers remains uncertain.
- A government spokesperson emphasised that the administration inherited a system with rising costs and poor outcomes, outlining steps such as extending award review periods, increasing face-to-face assessments, and allocating £3.5 billion to help disabled people into employment by the end of the parliamentary term.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
All sources report the same core percentages (7 % for cuts, 49 % for increases). The survey notes that attitudes can shift once specific groups targeted by cuts are identified, and that perceptions of “deserving” versus “genuinely unable to work” influence support. No quantitative disagreement appears across the reporting outlets.
What’s Next
The final recommendations of the Timms review of PIP and the Milburn review of NEET support are due later this autumn. Their conclusions will determine whether the government proceeds with reforms aimed at cost containment or maintains the current level of support for disability benefits in line with public sentiment.
