Social Security, Redistribution and Public Opinion

John Hills and Orsolya Lelkes have analysed results from the National Centrefor Social Research’s 1998 British Social Attitudes survey on public attitudes toredistribution and social security benefits and at how these relate to currentgovernment policies.There is a persistent public appetite for “tax and spend”, but the spendingpeople want is selective: health and education above all, but also benefits forcarers, disabled people, pensioners and low-paid families. More than twothirdssay that benefits for these groups should be increased.[...]