As many as 16.5 million (35%) of Britons believe the State welfare system provides an adequate safety net for a modern standard of living according to Scottish Provident.
The "High Wire Britain" report, an independent research study commissioned by Scottish Provident reveals that in the five years since it was last commissioned, there has been a huge jump in the number of people who are willing to believe that the State would provide an adequate safety net.
In 2003, just 1 in 5 (22%) people questioned said they believe that the state provides an adequate safety net for modern standards of living. Today this figure has risen by 13 percentage points to more than a third (35%), this is despite job seekers allowance increasing by just £5.76** on average during this time.
Those aged 45-54 are amongst the biggest sceptics about whether or not the state welfare system provides an adequate safety net, followed by 35-44 year olds.
Susan Barclay, head of marketing at Scottish Provident, commented:
"The reality is that the average increase in job seekers allowance of just under £6 doesn't come close to the cost of living in today's world and the Government will continue to place greater emphasis on people providing for themselves."
