Report exposes millions of disabled people trapped in poverty
8 January 2008 Millions of disabled people across the UK are trapped in poverty, reveals a major report out today (January 8, 2008). The Leonard Cheshire Disability report, ‘Disability Poverty in the UK’, shows that disabled people are twice as likely to live in poverty as non-disabled people. They are also more likely to live in poverty today than they were 10 years ago. There are an estimated three million disabled people living in relative poverty in the UK . Yet, on average, disabled people’s day-to-day living costs – for basics like mobility aids, care and transport - are a quarter (25 per cent) higher than those of non-disabled people. ‘Disability Poverty in the UK’ calls on the government to urgently develop a strategy to end disability poverty, exposing the missing link in the government’s overall strategy to tackle children’s and older people’s poverty. It is released just a day after senior Labour backbench MP Roger Berry tabled a Parliamentary motion, which already has cross party support, calling on the government to take action to tackle disability poverty. It is the first time a report has defined and quantified the full extent of disability poverty in the UK – way beyond just finance and income. The report sets out a number of recommendations on issues, ranging from savings to housing, to help bring about change. It also outlines a series of “indicators” to monitor all aspects of disability poverty, from income to quality of life. “Disability poverty is one of the most significant, and most challenging, problems facing the UK today,” says report author Guy Parckar, Public Policy Manager at Leonard Cheshire Disability. “The failure to specifically tackle disability poverty represents a gaping hole in the government’s otherwise strong record on poverty. Our report sets out a route for the government to begin to tackle this massively important issue and start the work to end disability poverty.” Roger Berry MP said: “It is clear from Leonard Cheshire Disability’s report that disability poverty has been missing from the political agenda for too long. The levels of disability poverty in the UK today are unacceptable. “This report is an urgent and important challenge to the government – action is needed now to ensure millions of disabled people are not condemned to a life in inescapable poverty.” Disability Poverty in the UK paints a picture of how poverty can impact on many areas of a disabled person’s life. For example:- Continuing low levels of employment for disabled people mean that many are trapped in inescapable poverty. For people not expected to work, benefit levels frequently fail to cover basic costs of living, leaving them with no real route out of poverty.
- Half (49 per cent) of disabled people surveyed by Leonard Cheshire Disability had no savings. The majority revealed this was because their incomes were way below the national average.
- Disabled people face major discrimination in the education system. For example, disabled people are more than twice as likely to have no qualifications as non-disabled people.
Senior Media and PR Officer Jennifer Walters on 020 7802 8267, 07738 329 209 or email Jennifer.Walters@LCDisability.org or Media Officer Gary Hartley on 020 7802 3377 or email Gary.Hartley@LCDisability.org. Out-of-hours: 07903 949 388.
Editors Notes • Leonard Cheshire Disability supports over 21,000 disabled people in the UK and works in 52 countries. We campaign for change and provide innovative services that give disabled people the opportunity to live life their way.