Public opinion: support for NIC tax increase UK 2021

As of September 2021, the British public was split on support and opposition of the government's tax rise for National Health Services (NHS) and social care, with roughly a third supporting and a third opposing the new levy. Support was higher among older adults and among conservative voters. This statistic presents the share of individuals in the United Kingdom who supported the increase of National insurance Contributions (NIC) taxes spent on NHS and social care in 2021, by age and political affiliation.

Share of individuals in the UK who supported the increase of National insurance Contributions (NIC) in 2021, by age and political affiliation

Characteristic	Support	Neither	Oppose
Among all	31%	29%	33%
16-34 years	28%	31%	33%
35-54 years	27%	30%	35%
55-75 years	40%	26%	30%
Conservative*	47%	27%	22%
Labour*	25%	27%	43%

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Release date

September 2021

More information

Region

United Kingdom

Survey time period

September 10-11, 2021

Number of respondents

2,100 respondents

Age group

16-75 years

Method of interview

Online survey

Supplementary notes

Survey question: "As you may know, the Government has recently announced an increase in taxes to be spent on easing the NHS backlog caused by the pandemic and to change the way social care is funded in England (including paying for a new £86,000 cap on the amount anyone in England will need to spend on their personal care over their lifetime).
The changes will be paid for by a 1.25 percentage point increase in both employers’ and employees’ National Insurance Contributions (including for people working beyond retirement age), and a 1.25 percentage point increase in the tax paid by shareholders on the profits they make.
To what extent, if at all, do you support or oppose this policy?"

*By 2019 general election vote

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