A cost of living warning has been issued to millions of people who claim Department for Work and Pensions benefits such as PIP (Personal Independence Payment) and DLA (Disability Living Allowance).
As people are struggling to pay the bills across the UK, disability charity Scope calls for more action to tackle the additional financial pressures of living with a disability. In a new report, extra finances for those living with a disability has risen up to £1,122 per month.
As Birmingham Live reports, this includes specialist equipment, heating bills, transport, it is all increasing with the current cost of living crisis. Over 2.7 million people claim PIP which is the main disability benefit for people of working age.
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A further 23,660 also receive its Scottish replacement, Adult Disability Payment, while more than 1.5 million are on PIP's pensioner equivalent, Attendance Allowance, and 1.2 million get Disability Living Allowance.
Scope, a disability equality charity, wants the issue to become a priority, stating that g disabled households have to find an average of almost £12,000 more a year to achieve the same standard of living as non-disabled households.
A new report has even shown that many are sitting in the dark and eating one meal a day, it said, with the problems made worse by "a welfare system that isn't providing adequate levels of financial support.
The extra cost of living with a disability – on average - equals 63 per cent of disabled households' income, leaving little room to afford a decent standard of living, Scope found. It says the additional essential expenditure is driven by:
- The higher cost of buying specialist equipment including wheelchairs, hoists, and home adaptations
- Greater use of everyday essentials such as energy because people may be housebound and have medical issues that require constant warmth
- Paying over the odds for taxis (because of often inaccessible public transport), insurance and dietary requirements
Scope says it has been tracking the extra costs through its own Disability Price Tag research, which takes into account factors such as location, employment situation and income levels. It says the latest figure of £975 represents a rise of £330 over three years.
James Taylor, Executive Director of Social Change at Scope, said: "We have known for a long time that life costs more if you are disabled. The current cost of living crisis and dizzying price rises for food, drink and energy has only exacerbated the financial challenges faced by disabled households.
"Disabled households are almost £1,000 worse off a month than non-disabled households as a result of the extra cost of disability. And this is after taking benefit payments into account, like PIP.
"Growing numbers of disabled households are falling into poverty as a result of trying to meet their extra costs. Scope's helplines are inundated. We're talking to people who are sitting in the dark, eating one meal a day and don’t know which way to turn.
"Action to reduce the cost of disability by government, by companies and by regulators has been promised in the past but has not been delivered. It is clear the system is failing. Driving down and ending the extra cost of disability now needs to be a political priority so that every disabled person can participate in society and reach their potential. We can’t shy away from action any longer."
Disability activist and Scope Ambassador Shani Dhanda said: "I've personally calculated that being disabled costs me an extra £13,000 a year. That's a huge amount of money in anyone’s book and means that I effectively work for 54 days a year for free.
"These extra costs include higher energy bills, and expensive equipment; accessible and specialist clothes; taxis where public transport lets me down; and a premium on insurance. Last year my already-high energy bills went up by £1,284.
"The price tag that comes with disability should shame us all, and it’s clear that we need action. We all want to live our lives to the full, contribute to society and get on in life. Extra costs make that increasingly difficult."
One example that Scope has heard from a helpline caller who hadn’t eaten for three days, along with a family with a disabled child - who has lots of life-saving equipment like a feeding pump - facing bills of £6,000 a year. Other disabled people are cutting back on showering and only eating cold meals.
The charity is wanting the Government to take action and prioritising helping those tackle the extra cost of disabilities by designing a welfare system that lifts disabled households out of poverty.
It also wants to see a new Energy Social Tariff for disabled households that offers a discounted rate for those who need to use more energy, and it is asking businesses and regulators to make sure disabled people don't pay over the odds for everyday essential services and have fair and affordable access to goods.
DWP minister Tom Pursglove said: "The Government announced in the Autumn Statement that it will provide a further Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 in 2023/24 to people in receipt of certain disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA). This is in addition to the £150 payment already paid during 2022."
He says the Disability Cost of Living Payment - due in summer 2023 - can be received in addition to the other cost of living payments of £900 for households on means-tested benefits and £300 for pensioners, meaning some will get all three sums - a total of £1,350.
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