A recent British social attitudes survey suggests that the public largely opposes cuts to disability benefits. The research found that only 7% of those surveyed were in favour of reducing payments for disabled individuals who cannot work.
Conversely, 49% of respondents indicated support for increased spending on disability benefits, even if it led to higher taxes. This finding comes amid political discussions from parties including Labour, the Conservative party, and Reform UK about the need to reduce health and disability benefit expenditure.
The survey, conducted by the National Centre for Social Research, gathered 4,656 interviews between August and October 2025. Dr Robert de Vries from the University of Kent, a co-author of the report, noted that support for disability benefits remains strong despite growing political divisions on welfare.
Annual spending on disability benefits has risen from £16.3bn in 2019/20 to £27.3bn in 2024/25, with forecasts predicting a rise to over £41bn by 2030. Currently, four million people in England and Wales receive Personal Independence Payment (PIP).