A recent survey suggests that the British public does not support cutting disability benefits, despite political discussions about the rising costs of these payments. The British social attitudes survey found that only 7% of respondents favored reducing benefits for disabled people unable to work. In contrast, nearly half of those polled, 49%, indicated support for increased spending on disability benefits, even if it resulted in higher taxes.
These findings emerge even as support for increased welfare spending for the poor has reached near-record low levels. The survey revealed that 27% of respondents favored the government spending more on welfare benefits for the poor, while 42% opposed it.
Several political parties, including Labour, the Conservative party, and Reform UK, have expressed the need to reduce spending on health and disability benefits. However, the Liberal Democrats, Greens, and SNP oppose such reductions. Previous attempts by Sir Keir Starmer to implement cuts were met with opposition from within his own party, leading to a government reversal.
The proportion of the UK's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) spent on welfare benefits for those of working age has remained relatively stable over the past four decades, hovering just under 5%. This figure has occasionally exceeded 5%, notably in the 1990s, after the 2008 financial crisis, and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While overall welfare spending has remained proportionate to GDP, disability benefits have claimed an increasing share of the total expenditure. Current figures indicate that four million people in England and Wales are receiving Personal Independence Payment (PIP), the primary disability benefit. Annual spending on PIP has risen substantially, from £16.3 billion in 2019/20 to an estimated £27.3 billion in 2024/25, with projections indicating it could exceed £41 billion by 2030.