State of the State: Survey captures challenges for government and public services

State of the State:

Survey captures challenges for government and public services

• Latest survey from Deloitte and Re:State finds cost of living the public's top priority for government, the NHS second and immigration third;
• Public is more satisfied than not with several public services and local factors - but satisfaction has dropped since 2020, especially in hospitals and healthcare;
• People fear Artificial Intelligence (AI) could take the human touch out of public services, but they see the opportunity for a smarter, less bureaucratic state.

Tackling the cost of living crisis is the UK public's top priority for government, according to a new poll from Deloitte and the think tank Re:State.

When asked to name their priorities from a list of issues, 74% said 'the cost of living' followed by 'the NHS' (69%). 'Immigration and border security' was third (53%), having climbed ten percentage points since the 2023 survey. The other most notable shift since 2023 was 'climate change', which has gone down as a priority for the public by 13 percentage points to 30%.

These findings come from the latest annual 'State of the State' report which brings together an exclusive Ipsos UK poll, which examines attitudes towards government and public services, and interviews with senior public sector officials.

When asked about satisfaction in local services, the poll found people more satisfied than not with their council, transport, local amenities, the local environment, and schools. They were more dissatisfied than satisfied with hospitals, housing, job prospects, and social care.

However, since the question was last asked in 2020, satisfaction has gone down across the board. The most significant fall is for hospitals and healthcare, where satisfaction has dipped from 65% in 2020 to 31% in the latest poll.

The survey also explored public attitudes to the use of AI in public services. When asked to name the top risks associated with AI, 51% said 'reduced human contact', 50% said 'potential job losses' and 47% said 'loss of human oversight'. When asked about the potential benefits, 33% said the public sector could 'analyse more information', 33% said AI could lead to 'less admin' and 26% said it could 'reduce costs'.

Rachel Charlton, Government & Public Services lead partner at Deloitte, said: "Local services have done incredibly well to maintain public satisfaction since the pandemic, which was one of the most difficult times for them in recent history. However, satisfaction is down overall, and that sets out a challenge for the years ahead: government and public services must keep improving for the citizen experience to recover.

"AI looks set to play its part in the future of public services," added Charlton. "This poll illustrates how the public needs reassurance that AI will not replace the humanity at the heart of their services, but free up time for frontline workers to do more of what they do best - support the public."

Charlotte Pickles, Chief Executive of Re:State, added: "Satisfaction with public services is on a downward spiral, with very few people thinking things will improve in the near future. It's perhaps unsurprising therefore that the public do not want to see their taxes raised to allow for more spending.

"Rebuilding trust in the State's ability to deliver is absolutely key. The good news from the report is that public service leaders understand the urgency and want to see a laser focus on delivery. The government need to enable this by getting on with the 'rewiring' of Whitehall they promised."

ENDS

About the research

Deloitte's annual State of the State report examines public attitudes towards government and public services.

Methodology

Ipsos UK surveyed 5,847 UK adults aged 16-75 online between 12 and 18 December 2025. This included respondents in England (3,813), Scotland (834), Wales (685) and Northern Ireland (515). Data are weighted to match the profile of the population.

Topic areas included: the top priorities and expectations for the UK over the next few years, attitudes to taxation and spending, trust in the government, satisfaction with their local area, attitudes towards AI and the impact of technology on public services, and the future impact of government on key issues.

About Re:State

Re:State is an independent, non-party, charitable think tank whose mission is to set out ideas that will improve public services for all and deliver value for money. More here: re-state.co.uk