Government welfare cuts 'wrong choice' according to public
23 June 2025New research published today [23 June] found the majority of the public opposes the welfare changes announced by the Government this year. Twice as many people feel the Government’s changes were the ‘wrong choice’ (54%) than the ‘right choice’ (26%). Over half (53%) of 2024 Labour voters felt that the Government had made the wrong choice, but this was broadly true across the political spectrum: Reform (58%); Lib Dems (53%) and Conservatives (49%).
The Financial Fairness Tracker, commissioned by the abrdn Financial Fairness Trust and analysed by a team of researchers at the University of Bristol, questioned around 6,000 households on their finances. Researchers also asked about how people felt about the recent cuts to welfare spending and how they might feel about a range of possible future tax rises.
Two policies in particular were felt by the public as likely to do more harm than good. Around six-in-ten (58%) of those questioned felt reducing spending on benefits for disabled people would do more harm than good. And the same percentage thought that about reducing spending on public services. Less than one-in-ten of the public thought these policies would do more good than harm (8% and 10% respectively). This is perhaps unsurprising in a context where the survey found that nearly a third (32%) of disabled households were currently struggling to pay for food or other essentials (compared with 17% of other households).
People were more receptive to some potential tax rises; 43% said increasing taxes on households with property wealth or other assets would do more good than harm. However, when asked whether they would support future potential tax rises if necessary to pay for public services, some proposed tax rises were more popular than others. 61% supported taxes on tobacco, vaping, alcohol, unhealthy foods and gambling and 54% supported taxes on wealth (such as capital gains tax or taxes on the assets of wealthy individuals). Unpopular tax rises included Council taxes/rates (57% opposed), taxes on general spending (such as VAT) (52% opposed) and taxes on income (such as income tax and national insurance) (48% opposed).
Voters diverged on the type of tax rises they would support. When asked about taxes on unhealthy behaviours, the outlier for support was Reform voters (47% support) vs Conservative (66%), Labour (70%), Lib Dem (72%) and Green (75%). When considering taxes on wealth Conservatives (42% support) and Reform voters (43%) were aligned – whilst more left-leaning parties were much more supportive, e.g. Labour (67%).
Support for taxes on income were not so surprising: Labour voters are twice as supportive (31%) as Conservatives (15%) and Reform (14%).
Mubin Haq, CEO of abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, said:
“Although there are considerable fiscal constraints, the public feel the government has made the wrong decision in relation to disability cuts. They believe these cuts will do more harm than good and do not believe they are necessary to ensure the sustainability of our benefits system. There is more appetite for some tax rises. The government has listened in relation to winter fuel payments and must do the same in relation to disability benefits to avoid causing hardship for millions.”
Professor Sharon Collard, Chair in Personal Finance at the University of Bristol, said:
“This polling challenges the narrative that the public is against welfare spending, in fact many recognise that extra support is essential for people with disabilities. With voters across the political spectrum saying the cuts are the wrong choice government needs to rethink its proposals.”
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The Financial Fairness Tracker, commissioned by the abrdn Financial Fairness Trust and analysed by a team of researchers at the University of Bristol, questioned around 6,000 households on their finances. Researchers also asked about how people felt about the recent cuts to welfare spending and how they might feel about a range of possible future tax rises.
Two policies in particular were felt by the public as likely to do more harm than good. Around six-in-ten (58%) of those questioned felt reducing spending on benefits for disabled people would do more harm than good. And the same percentage thought that about reducing spending on public services. Less than one-in-ten of the public thought these policies would do more good than harm (8% and 10% respectively). This is perhaps unsurprising in a context where the survey found that nearly a third (32%) of disabled households were currently struggling to pay for food or other essentials (compared with 17% of other households).
People were more receptive to some potential tax rises; 43% said increasing taxes on households with property wealth or other assets would do more good than harm. However, when asked whether they would support future potential tax rises if necessary to pay for public services, some proposed tax rises were more popular than others. 61% supported taxes on tobacco, vaping, alcohol, unhealthy foods and gambling and 54% supported taxes on wealth (such as capital gains tax or taxes on the assets of wealthy individuals). Unpopular tax rises included Council taxes/rates (57% opposed), taxes on general spending (such as VAT) (52% opposed) and taxes on income (such as income tax and national insurance) (48% opposed).
Voters diverged on the type of tax rises they would support. When asked about taxes on unhealthy behaviours, the outlier for support was Reform voters (47% support) vs Conservative (66%), Labour (70%), Lib Dem (72%) and Green (75%). When considering taxes on wealth Conservatives (42% support) and Reform voters (43%) were aligned – whilst more left-leaning parties were much more supportive, e.g. Labour (67%).
Support for taxes on income were not so surprising: Labour voters are twice as supportive (31%) as Conservatives (15%) and Reform (14%).
Mubin Haq, CEO of abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, said:
“Although there are considerable fiscal constraints, the public feel the government has made the wrong decision in relation to disability cuts. They believe these cuts will do more harm than good and do not believe they are necessary to ensure the sustainability of our benefits system. There is more appetite for some tax rises. The government has listened in relation to winter fuel payments and must do the same in relation to disability benefits to avoid causing hardship for millions.”
Professor Sharon Collard, Chair in Personal Finance at the University of Bristol, said:
“This polling challenges the narrative that the public is against welfare spending, in fact many recognise that extra support is essential for people with disabilities. With voters across the political spectrum saying the cuts are the wrong choice government needs to rethink its proposals.”
Read more