The British Social Attitudes survey finds just 7% support cutting disability payments and 49% back higher disability spending even if taxes rise. PIP now reaches around four million people in England and Wales, with spending up from £16.3bn (2019/20) to £27.3bn (2024/25) and forecasts above £41bn by 2030. Large majorities also support extra help for daily tasks. Researchers warn reforms could provoke public opposition.
Major Survey Finds Strong Public Opposition To Cuts In Disability Benefits
Protestors demonsting against benefit cuts at a rally in Parliament Square in 2025 [Getty Images]
A major new British Social Attitudes survey shows overwhelming public resistance to cuts in disability payments, even as political debate intensifies over the rising cost of benefits. The research finds that just 7% of respondents support reducing payments for disabled people who cannot work, while 49% would back increased spending on disability benefits even if it meant higher taxes.
Key Findings
The survey highlights a contrast between attitudes to disability support and wider welfare spending. While backing for raising general welfare for the poor is near a record low, public support for disability benefits remains robust.
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- Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is received by around four million people in England and Wales.
- Annual spending on disability benefits jumped from £16.3bn in 2019/20 to £27.3bn in 2024/25, and forecasts project it could rise above £41bn by 2030.
- Large majorities back targeted extra payments to help meet disability-related daily costs: 83% for cooking, 80% for budgeting and 78% for washing.
Politics, Timing and Caveats
Parties are divided on possible changes. Labour, the Conservative Party and Reform UK have argued some reductions or reforms may be necessary, while the Liberal Democrats, Greens and SNP oppose cuts. An attempt by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer last year to introduce PIP changes met resistance inside Labour and prompted a government retreat.
"Despite growing political divisions on welfare, support for disability benefits remains remarkably strong," said Dr Robert de Vries of the University of Kent, a co-author of the report.
The National Centre for Social Research collected 4,656 interviews between August and October 2025. The authors note the timing — shortly after the government stepped back from PIP reform proposals — could have temporarily increased support for disability payments. They also warn that public attitudes depend on which groups of disabled people come to mind, with some seen as more "deserving" than others.
What Comes Next
The government has said it will publish proposals to reform PIP in the autumn after an interim report concluded the benefit needed change. The survey suggests any attempt to tighten or reduce disability payments risks significant public backlash.
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