British Social Attitudes 43 Supplement 2026

Product Description

The British Social Attitudes 43 Supplement contains additional reports from the 43rd British Social Attitudes survey that were not included in the initial publication.

The new reports are:

BSA 43 | Attitudes to welfare: Have attitudes to disability benefits changed?
The level of spending on disability benefits is often said to be ‘unsustainable’. Yet the Starmer government’s attempt in 2025 to cut disability benefits was opposed by much of the public and partially thwarted by a rebellion of Labour MPs. However, new proposals for reform are in the pipeline. This chapter analyses the public’s support for spending on disability benefits, how views have changed over time, and how the public might react to future changes. It focuses in particular on whether shifts in attitudes are best understood as:

• a reaction to changing levels of spending on welfare,
• the result of changes in the perceived ‘deservingness’ of disability benefit recipients, or
• a reflection of a political polarisation of attitudes.