Fewer than one in 10 Britons back disability benefit cuts

Fewer than one in 10 people in Britain support cutting disability benefits, while 49% would back higher spending on them even if it meant higher taxes, according to a new report from the British Social Attitudes survey. The analysis draws on 4,656 interviews conducted between August and October 2025.

How strong is public support for disability benefits?

Just 7% of respondents said they favoured cutting disability benefits for disabled people who cannot work. Support was higher for extra payments covering the costs of disability: 83% backed additional payments to help with cooking, 80% for budgeting and 78% for washing. Only 3% said nobody should receive additional money for any of those three tasks.

What did the report’s authors say?

Dr Robert de Vries from the University of Kent, a co-author of the report, said: “Very few people favour cuts, disabled people are seen as among the most deserving recipients of support, and proposals to reduce disability benefits appear politically risky across the political spectrum.” The report describes support for disability benefits as “remarkably strong”.

How much does the UK spend on disability benefits?

Four million people in England and Wales receive Personal Independence Payment (PIP), the main disability benefit. Annual spending rose from £16.3bn in 2019/20 to £27.3bn in 2024/25 and is forecast to exceed £41bn by 2030. Spending on all working-age welfare benefits has stayed broadly flat at just under 5% of GDP over the past 40 years, but disability payments take an increasing share of the total.

How do these attitudes compare with wider welfare spending?

Support for higher welfare spending for the poor was close to the lowest level recorded by the researchers: 27% said the government should spend more on welfare benefits for the poor even if it leads to higher taxes, while 42% were opposed.

What do the report’s authors caution?

The interviews took place shortly after Sir Keir Starmer’s government failed to reform PIP, and the authors said it was “possible that people were particularly supportive of disability benefits at the time”. They cautioned that public attitudes “crucially depend on which disabled people are in the public’s mind”.

What do the political parties say about disability benefit cuts?

Labour, the Conservative party and Reform UK have all said health and disability benefit spending needs to be reduced, while the Liberal Democrats, the Greens and the SNP oppose reductions. Among respondents, 5% of Labour voters, 7% of Conservative voters and 11% of Reform UK backers supported cuts.

Proposals to reform PIP are due to be unveiled by the government in the autumn, after an interim report published in the summer found the benefit was not fit for purpose. The findings come amid other changes to health provision in England, where migraines and acne were added to the list of conditions pharmacists can treat.

Public attention to serious illness in the UK has also been high, after BBC presenter Maryam Moshiri revealed she has an incurable blood cancer.

Frequently asked questions

What percentage of people support cutting disability benefits?

Just 7% of respondents to the British Social Attitudes survey favoured cutting disability benefits for disabled people who cannot work.

How much does the UK spend on Personal Independence Payment?

Spending on Personal Independence Payment rose from £16.3bn in 2019/20 to £27.3bn in 2024/25 and is forecast to exceed £41bn by 2030.

How many people receive PIP in England and Wales?

Four million people in England and Wales currently receive Personal Independence Payment, the main disability benefit.

Which political parties want to reduce disability benefit spending?

Labour, the Conservative party and Reform UK have said health and disability benefit spending needs to be reduced, while the Liberal Democrats, the Greens and the SNP oppose cuts.

With reporting from BBC News.

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