New research by Leonard Cheshire paints a bleak picture of disabled people struggling to pay for essentials and concludes that disabled people must be prioritised for financial support.
- More than 600,000 disabled people in the UK are estimated to have £10 or less per week to pay for food and other costs.
- More than half left anxious, depressed or hopeless by financial worries.
- Around a quarter surveyed in 2022 had missed meals or not heated their homes.
- the poverty rate among working age disabled adults is almost twice as high as non-disabled working age adults
The charity wants the government to increase benefits in line with inflation and to reverse proposed changes to the Warm Home Discount. Better access to social care would also boost incomes for disabled people, with a quarter (24%) of disabled people surveyed saying they had been unable to work due to inadequate social care support.
“The reality is life costs more if you are disabled. You can’t just switch off essential medical equipment to save on energy bills.Transport costs are often higher due to a reliance on taxis or specially-adapted vehicles. For many, working full time is not an option and that severely restricts earning power. Others are locked out of employment because of caring responsibilities.Many disabled people face impossible choices and are living day-by-day on a financial knife edge. The government needs to recognise this and urgently act to avoid a desperate situation becoming a catastrophe.”
View the research findings in full here
You can also sign in Leonard Cheshire’s campaign on the rising cost of living
