Experts issue warnings on social security cuts in Spring Statement
Published: 26 March 2025
University of Glasgow academics have joined leading public health experts in warning of likely consequence of cuts to social security in the Chancellor’s Spring Statement.
University of Glasgow academics have joined leading public health experts in warning of likely consequence of cuts to social security in the Spring Statement to be made by Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, on 26 March.
Writing in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), they warn that 15 years of austerity policies have already led to life expectancy worsening in Britain’s most disadvantaged areas, and that further cuts to social security will cause further deaths.
Professor Gerry McCartney, of the University of Glasgow, said: “There is now substantial evidence that cuts to social security since 2010 have fundamentally harmed the health of the UK population. Implementing yet more cuts will therefore result in more premature deaths. It is vital that the UK Government understands this evidence and takes a different policy approach.”
Professor Danny Dorling from the University of Oxford added: “There is a ‘moral case’ to help the poorest and most vulnerable members of our society, not to enact measures which we know will cause immense suffering.”
Professor Kat Smith, of the University of Strathclyde, said: “We know from multiple studies, and from the previous UK Governments’ actions, that cutting disabled people’s benefits will not move people into work – rather, it will cause unnecessary harm. A different policy approach focusing on high quality and more accessible jobs, and ensuring that people have sufficient income to live healthy lives, is required.”
The University of Liverpool’s Professor David Taylor-Robinson said: “We've demonstrated that austerity policies in the UK have worsened inequalities in infant mortality, life expectancy, child obesity, mental health, early childhood development, educational attainment, and vaccination rates. Reversing these alarming trends requires sustained investment in welfare support and services proportionate to community needs.”
Professor Gerry McCartney added: “Fifteen years of austerity policies has left the health of the population in this terrible position. What is needed now is substantial re-investment in public services and the social security system to help improve the health of the population and to create high-quality jobs. There is no short cut to solving this problem.
“From 1945 to 2012, life expectancy in the UK rose steadily. But after 2012 it flatlined, and for those in the most disadvantaged areas, it declined, caused by deep cuts to social security and local government spending. The list of consequences is shameful, including increased infant mortality, deterioration of mental health particularly in young adults, and record levels of children being taken into care in England.
“If the government is serious about supporting people with disabilities and long-term health conditions to work, it needs to collaborate with people with relevant lived experience (such as disabled people’s user-led organisations), employers, and researchers to develop and implement effective, evidence-based policies and interventions.”
First published: 26 March 2025