1 in 4 too ashamed to admit they receive benefits

More than one in four people who receive social security benefits have hidden the fact because they are worried about what other people will think. And more than half (51 per cent) of all those who have never been supported by benefits say they would feel embarrassed to claim.

The figures come from a YouGov online survey of 1,955 adults, undertaken on 18 and 19 September 2013.

Key findings

  • 81 per cent of people believe benefits are an important safety net for people in need, and only 5 per cent disagree.
  • 63 per cent agree that 'we all benefit as society' when support from social security benefits is available to those that need it, with only 13 per cent disagreeing.
  • But among those currently receiving working-age benefits, as many as 27 per cent say they have hidden the fact from other people. This proportion rises to 47 per cent among people aged 16-24.
  • Among those who have never received working-age benefits, 51 per cent say they would feel embarrassed to do so, and only 40 said they would not.

Source: Press release 8 October 2013, Children's Society
LinksChildrens Society press release

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