The Department for Work and Pensions has been instructed to reduce benefits for migrants to help control the increasing welfare expenditure. According to a recent poll, 62% of voters favor cutting DWP benefits for migrants to lower the bill.
Public Opinion on Benefit Cuts
The survey, conducted by Charlesbye and Merlin Strategy, revealed that 38% of respondents support reducing payments for young people not in employment, while 18% would target savings from individuals with mental health conditions. Overall, 30% back reductions across the board. The poll also indicated that 14% of those who defected from major parties would return to Labour or the Conservatives.
Rise in Foreign National Claimants
The number of foreign nationals receiving benefits has reached nearly 1.3 million this year, marking a 6.7% increase over the previous year. Additionally, 66% of people believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, with only 21% saying it is on the right track.
Lee Cain, founding partner at Charlesbye, commented: “Voters have been demanding change for more than a decade, and Westminster’s traditional parties have shown themselves unable or unwilling to deliver it. The result is not a temporary flirtation with Reform or the Greens, but the permanent abandonment of the two main parties. If the insurgents disappoint, these voters will not come home – they will keep looking for something new.”
The Labour Party government previously stated: “This government inherited a broken social security system, with costs spiralling at an unsustainable rate and millions of people trapped out of work.” Former DWP boss and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall added: “Our social security system is at a crossroads. Unless we reform it, more people will be denied opportunities, and it may not be there for those who need it. This legislation represents a new social contract and marks the moment we take the road of compassion, opportunity and dignity. This will give people peace of mind, while also fixing our broken social security system so it supports those who can work to do so while protecting those who cannot - putting welfare spending on a more sustainable path to unlock growth as part of our Plan for Change.”
The findings are based on a national poll of 4,209 adults conducted from 2nd April 2026 to 16th April 2026.
