A survey for the More in Common non-profit organisation has found that the majority of the public do not support the proposed cuts to personal independence payment (PIP) and believe cost cutting, not getting people back into work, is the main reason for welfare reform.
According to the poll, only 31% of Britons feel that the Government is trying to limit the impact of cuts on vulnerable groups, while 20% think that it is not trying, and 36% think that the Government has actively chosen to target certain vulnerable groups.
54% believe that the cuts to benefits are about saving money with only 32% considering that they are about getting people back into work.
44% of all Britons think that welfare reforms are too harsh, 28% think they are about right and only 10% think they are too soft. If Labour hope that their welfare cuts will play especially well with Reform voters, they might be disappointed to learn that 41% of Reform voters think they are too harsh, compared to 42% of Labour voters.
When asked about specific PIP descriptors, the public disagree with Labour’s 4 point system.
74% of Britons believe that needing assistance to wash below the waist should automatically qualify someone for disability-related benefits; 72% say the same about needing help to dress their lower body; 70% say the same about needing assistance to get out of the bath or shower.
None of these are 4 point descriptors, so none of them would allow access to the daily living component of PIP.
43% of Britons think that the benefits cuts make Labour appear mean-spirited.
34% of Britons say they know someone on disability benefits and 36% of people who know someone say the proposed reforms have decreased their trust in the Labour Party to manage public finances safely, 36% say it has made no difference and only 15% say the reforms have increased their trust.
Even amongst all Britons, not just those who know a claimant, 30% say the reforms have decreased their trust and only 15% say they have increased their trust.
So, it would seem that in spite of all the bile and hatred below the line on many media websites, the public are less than enthusiastic about benefits cuts - especially for disabled claimants.
You can see a detailed breakdown of the More in Common survey here.
