Attitudes Towards Social Risks and Social Protection in the United Kingdom

Executive summary

Public expenditure on social supports in the United Kingdom declined considerably in the years leading up to 2020, reflecting efforts to limit public spending following the global financial crisis and through the 2010s. Although social spending rose briefly during the COVID‑19 pandemic, it remained lower than in the early‑2010s, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of gross domestic product.

Where do people in the United Kingdom want social protection to go from here? This report examines public perceptions of social protection and attitudes towards the future of social policy in the United Kingdom. Using data from the late‑2022 round of the OECD Risks That Matter (RTM) survey, it explores perceptions of economic risks, satisfaction with public services and benefits, and whether and where people want government to spend more going forward.

People in the United Kingdom express strong concerns about economic risks

Many people in the United Kingdom feel relatively vulnerable to social and economic risks and want more government support, especially in comparison to people in other G7 countries and northern Europe. Results indicate that people in the United Kingdom are often more concerned about a range of short- and longer-term risks – such as job loss, the possibility of falling ill, and access to healthcare, housing, education, and long-term care – than people elsewhere, especially after adjusting for cross-country differences in population composition. As in other countries, young people, women, and lower-income groups report the highest levels of concern.

These risk perceptions are mirrored in concerns about social protection. In the United Kingdom, as in most other OECD countries, respondents have mixed feelings about public services and benefits. Only a minority believe they could easily access benefits if needed, and confidence in government-provided income support in the event of financial emergencies is low. Overall, satisfaction with social programmes is lower in the United Kingdom than in some of the UK’s G7 peers, like Canada and the United States, though the UK’s satisfaction is higher than in countries like Italy and France. Perceptions of injustice and abuse within the benefits system are also comparatively mild in the United Kingdom. This is consistent with evidence elsewhere suggesting that attitudes towards benefit recipients have softened in the United Kingdom in recent years.

There is strong support in the United Kingdom for an expansion of social protection

Looking ahead, results from RTM suggest demand for greater social protections. Over three‑quarters of UK respondents call for the government to do more to secure their social and economic well-being – a rate higher than in most other G7 countries. Health care is the highest priority for increased spending. Concerns about the availability of quality healthcare services are widespread, with 71% of UK respondents feeling at least somewhat concerned about their ability to access good care in the next year or two. These demands are accompanied by a willingness to pay: despite already representing the largest area of public social spending, over three‑quarters of UK respondents say they would like the government to spend more on healthcare. Over half indicate they would be willing to pay an additional 2% of their income in taxes for better healthcare services.

Pensions and long-term care are also important issues, although a lower priority than healthcare. Unemployment supports come bottom of the priority list for people in the United Kingdom, even as the United Kingdom spends comparatively little on unemployment benefits relative to other countries.

There is appetite in the United Kingdom for more progressive taxes and transfers. Two-thirds of UK respondents call for increased taxes on the rich to better support the poor, one of the highest levels of support among OECD countries. Notably, and unlike in most other OECD countries, demands for progressive taxation and spending are just as strong among high earners and the highly educated as for people with lower incomes and less education. Results from RTM are consistent with evidence from UK sources showing that attitudes have been shifting recently in favour of progressive taxation and spending.

Economic and policy factors likely influence demand for greater support in the United Kingdom

Why are people in the United Kingdom currently more likely to call for support than peers elsewhere? The RTM survey cannot provide causal evidence on country differences in attitudes and preferences for social programmes, but country comparisons point to a few factors that may help explain why attitudes differ cross-nationally.

The size and shape of current social protection is one factor likely influencing public attitudes. Links between current policy and attitudes towards future policy are complex, but results from RTM suggest that countries with more expansive social protection systems see lower levels of concern about social risks, less dissatisfaction with social programmes, and lower calls for increased support and spending from government. In some (but not all) cases, attitudes and preferences in specific policy areas are also linked to policy structure and design. Confidence in income support following job loss tends to be higher in countries where unemployment benefits are more generous, for instance, as does confidence in old-age income support in countries with more generous pensions.

For the United Kingdom, there is evidence to suggest that demand for spending and redistribution may have grown as a response to cuts to social programmes over the past decade and a half. However, even in the absence of cuts, respondents in a country with a mid-sized, tightly targeted social protection system like the UK’s might be expected to express a relatively strong preference for expanded government support.

Economic factors and social preferences likely play a role, too. Economic development is one potential driver, with respondents in wealthier countries often expressing fewer concerns about risks and greater satisfaction with social programmes than respondents in poorer countries. (Perceived) economic inequality is another: calls for increased spending on social policies and increased taxes on the rich tend to be stronger in countries where people express stronger concerns about income inequality. Income inequality is comparatively high in the United Kingdom, although public concern about inequality is moderate.

Economic security and economic shocks matter, as well. As well as shaping preferences at the individual level, countries with larger numbers of respondents who report a deterioration in their household finances in the past year also have larger numbers calling for increased taxes on the rich to support the poor. The United Kingdom notably has a large share of RTM respondents who report that their household finances have weakened in the past year, suggesting another factor behind its comparatively strong calls for more social protection.