Support for benefits is nearing an all-time low among the British public, a major survey has revealed.
The UK Social Attitudes survey shows that support for social spending is at near its lowest level since the question was first asked almost three decades ago.
Despite this, there is little support for cuts to people with disabilities who cannot work, it emerged.
This finding suggests that it would be “politically risky” for a government to try to save money by cutting disability benefits.
“Support for spending on disabled people who cannot work – and for carers, parents on very low incomes and pensioners – is now lower than at any time since these questions were first asked in 1998,” the survey found, although data shows this figure was slightly lower in 2009.
‘Yet, support for spending on all these groups remains quite high.
“Today, only seven percent of people say they should spend less on disability benefits, and 49 percent say they should spend more (even though this would likely lead to higher taxes).” The survey found that support for more spending on disability benefits had declined, along with support for social spending in general.
But the public looked sympathetically at people with disabilities that prevented them from working versus the unemployed.
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The survey found that only 11 percent of those who oppose increases in welfare also support spending less money on people with disabilities, while 67 percent support cuts to spending on people without jobs.
It noted: ‘These figures suggest that opposition to social spending primarily reflects opposition to spending on unemployment benefits (and to a lesser extent to single parents), with spending on disability benefits being highly isolated.’ Dr. Robert de Vries, senior lecturer in quantitative sociology at the University of Kent and co-author of the report, said: ‘Despite growing political divisions over social security, support for disability benefits remains remarkably strong.
‘Very few people support cuts, people with disabilities are seen as among the most deserving recipients of support, and proposals to reduce disability benefits appear politically risky across the political spectrum.’ The survey shows that only seven percent of Conservative voters and 11 percent of Reform voters support cuts to disability benefit spending.
It noted that the picture for unemployment benefits was almost reversed, with even Green Party voters – who are most in favor of additional social spending – split between spending more and spending less.
The survey also found that people with disabilities were given a higher priority in spending additional social benefits than on pensioners, with a reversal from the previous position in recent years.
The figures come from a government-ordered review of the disability benefits system, which will be published later this autumn.
The review, led by Work and Pensions Secretary Sir Stephen Timms, was announced last year in the wake of a Labor revolt against plans led by Sir Keir Starmer to restrict the right to Personal Independence Payments (Pip).
Pip is the main disability benefit in England and is designed to help with daily tasks and additional living costs if someone has a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability.
Separate figures published by the Department for Work & Pensions in June show that the number of people in England and Wales claiming personal independence benefits has passed four million for the first time, roughly doubling since 2019.
Spending on Pip was £16.3 billion in 2019/20, adjusted for inflation at current prices, and had risen to £27.3 billion by 2024/25.
This is currently expected to rise to £41.5 billion by 2030/31.
The BSA report found that disability benefits had risen as a percentage of GDP, but had not increased overall social spending.
The poll was conducted in autumn 2025, but was published as part of a new analysis by the National Center for Social Research on attitudes towards welfare and social security.
The authors acknowledged that the timing of the survey, just after the government’s failed attempt to implement Pip reforms, meant it was ‘possible that people were particularly supportive of disability benefits at the time’.
