Almost half of Brits support cutting benefits in order to boost defence spending, a new poll has shown.

A Savanta survey found 44 per cent are in favour of slashing welfare payments so that more cash can be given to the Armed Forces.

This compares to one third (34 per cent) who oppose squeezing benefits in order to increase the Ministry of Defence budget.

Cutting welfare payments was one of five options for finding more money for defence that was given to voters in the poll.

Nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) support a reduction in foreign aid spending, but there was little backing for more borrowing, higher taxes, or cuts to public services.

Almost half (47 per cent) oppose an increase in government borrowing, while 64 per cent don’t want taxes to rise to fund greater defence spending.

Meanwhile, 75 per cent don’t want spending on public services such as the NHS, schools or police to be reduced.

The poll was conducted for the Institute of Research and Reforms (IRR) International ahead of Chancellor John Healey unveiling his first Budget next week.

Support for cutting foreign aid reaches 81 per cent among those who voted Tory at the 2024 general election, and 85 per cent among Reform UK voters.

Seven in 10 (70 per cent) of Tory voters also support welfare cuts to boost defence spending, while 64 per cent of Reform voters back a squeeze on benefits.

This compares with just 39 per cent of Labour voters wanting welfare spending to be cut in order to give more mnoney to the Armed Forces. 

When asked separately whether they are personally willing to pay more tax to allow an increase in defence spending, 62 per cent of all voters are unwilling.

This compares to less the one third (30 per cent) who are willing to pay extra to HMRC so that more cash can go to the military.

When asked about the level of tax they currently pay, 43 per cent think they pay too much tax, while the same proportion say they pay the right amount of tax.

Only 2 per cent say they pay too little tax, while 12 per cent don’t know.

Mr Healey is set to detail how the Government will pay for a £4.7billion hole in current defence spending plans at next week’s Budget.

But he is not expected to lay out a path to spending 3 per cent of GDP on defence by 2030 – or 3.5 per cent by 2035 – despite him resigning as defence secretary from Keir Starmer’s administration over the issue earlier this year.

Mr Healey is instead expected to wait to do so until a spending review next year.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch this week branded a delay in setting out how defence funding will increase as ‘unconscionable’ amid the threat posed by Russia.

‘If, at this Budget, he does not find the money to get to 3 per cent, John Healey has an awful lot of explaining to do,’ she said. 

‘Britain is at risk. John Healey said so himself, and no amount of political difficulty should prevent us from responding to that risk.’

Mrs Badenoch set out Tory plans for more than £70billion in savings, including major cuts to welfare spending, in order to help fund an increase in the defence budget.

Ali Rehman Malik, chairman of IRR International, said: ‘The Government faces clear limits on what the public is willing to accept to fund higher defence spending.

‘Tax rises and cuts to essential public services meet strong opposition.

‘Support for cutting overseas aid deserves careful consideration. A defence budget can be strengthened on paper while the wider conditions that contribute to security are weakened elsewhere.

‘Ministers must examine what particular programmes achieve, and whether their removal could affect regional stability, conflict prevention and Britain’s longer-term interests.

‘Before treating the removal of one area of expenditure as an isolated saving, the Government must understand the consequences across the wider system.

‘Any funding settlement should explain the trade-offs involved, consider whether costs might reappear elsewhere, and demonstrate how the decisions will strengthen the country’s security.

‘National security requires more than military capability alone. It also depends upon the resilience of our institutions, the economic security of our citizens and the international relationships through which Britain protects its interests.’

Savanta polled 2,130 UK adults online between 16 and 19 October.