Sir Stephen Timms (Image: Bloomberg, Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Almost half of the population thinks the government should increase spending on people with disabilities. Any proposals to cut benefits for this population group could be “politically risky,” according to major new opinion polls. An even larger share of the population supports financial assistance for people with disabilities to carry out daily activities such as cooking and laundry.
However, support for increasing Social Security spending across the board remains at historically low levels. The findings come ahead of a government-commissioned review of the disability benefits system, due to be published later this autumn.
The review, led by Work and Pensions Secretary Sir Stephen Timms, was unveiled last year following a rebellion within the Labor Party against Sir Keir Starmer’s plans to limit entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which is distributed to eligible individuals by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). PIP is the main disability benefit in England and aims to help with everyday tasks and additional living expenses for people with a long-term physical or mental illness or disability.
Some 49% of UK adults believe the government should provide more resources to people with disabilities, according to the latest data from the long-running British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey, which has tracked public sentiment on issues since 1983. This represents an increase of 44% year on year.
Only 7% of respondents believe that spending on this group should be reduced, compared with 11% previously. The survey was conducted in the fall of 2025 and published as part of the National Center for Social Research’s latest analysis of public attitudes toward welfare and social security.
PIP Payments Pending (Image: Alphotographic via Getty Images)
When asked about specific activities for which people should receive more financial support, respondents were overwhelmingly in favor, with 83% in favor of more money for cooking, 80% for budgeting and 78% for laundry. Only 3% of respondents chose the option “no one should receive additional money” for all three tasks.
The researchers acknowledged that the timing of the survey, conducted shortly after the government’s failed attempt to introduce PIP reforms, meant that “it is possible that people were particularly supportive of disability benefits at the time.” The report found that 57% of Labor voters backed more spending on benefits for disabled people unable to work, while just 5% favored cuts.
The report also highlights that “even a Conservative or Reform government would face very little support for cuts to benefits for disabled people who are unable to work” (7% and 11% respectively). The authors said: “Any attempts to cut PIP would also be made in the context of broad cross-party support for additional benefits for people with disabilities that affect their daily lives.”
The researchers warned that public perception of disability benefits “depends crucially on what kinds of disabled people are in the public’s mind,” citing earlier research that found that “certain types of disabled people are viewed by the public as ‘deserving’ people.”
Preliminary polling results released in February this year showed net support for increased government spending across all welfare categories was minus 15 percentage points, approaching the record low of minus 16 points recorded in 2009. Net support represents the gap between respondents who favor increased spending (27% in 2025) and those who oppose it (42%).
Dr Robert de Vries, senior lecturer in quantitative sociology at the University of Kent and co-author of the BSA, said: “Despite growing political divisions on welfare issues, support for disability benefits remains extremely strong. Very few people are in favor of cuts, disabled people are seen as some of the most deserving recipients of support, and proposals to cut disability benefits appear politically risky across the political spectrum.”
Separate statistics published by the Department for Work and Pensions in June showed that the number of claimants to Personal Independence Payments in England and Wales topped four million for the first time, roughly doubling since 2019. PIP spending was £16.3 billion in 2019/20, adjusted for inflation and current prices, rising to £27.3 billion by 2024/25.
Spending is currently forecast to rise to £41.5 billion by 2030/31. An interim report from the Timms review, published in July, concluded that the system as designed in 2013 was “no longer fit for purpose.”
Sir Stephen said at the time that the benefits system required “fundamental changes”, stressing that it needed to be made “financially sustainable”. When asked whether his team’s final report might recommend a reduction in the number of applicants, he said people would have to “wait and see” what conclusions were reached.
He warned that the “vital support” provided by PIP to cover the extra living costs of disabled people could be at risk if costs continue to rise. James Taylor, from disability equality charity Scope, said the latest BSA study “sends a clear message: the public is not in favor of balancing the books on the backs of disabled people”.
He added: “Ministers must really listen to disabled people before making any changes to disability benefits and building the system around their lives.”
A government spokesman commented: “We inherited a system of rising costs and poor outcomes for too many people, which we are fixing by extending award review periods, increasing personal assessments and helping sick or disabled people find work, supported by £3.5 billion by the end of Parliament. Timms and Milburn’s final recommendations, to be published this fall, will lay the foundation for sustainable, long-term reform.”