A study, released on 20 October 2004, exposes the extra costs of living that drive disabled people deeper into poverty
Disabled people who rely on state benefits or work for the national minimum wage have weekly incomes that are far below the amount they need for an acceptable quality of life.
For those who solely depend on benefits, the deficit between the payments they receive and the minimum sum required is £200 a week or more, according to research for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
The study calculates the costs of essential items, including personal assistance, which people with different levels of disability would need to lead their lives on level terms with non-disabled people. These examples of ‘budget standards’ were drawn up by disabled people in Birmingham, Derby and Nottingham with researchers from the Centre for Research in Social Policy, supported by Disability Alliance.
The research found that disabled people experienced extra costs in most areas of everyday life. These range from major expenditure on essential equipment to routine additional bills for food, clothing, fuel, transport and leisure activities
Generally speaking, people with the greatest needs had the highest costs. However, transport costs were greatest for those with fluctuating needs, and communication and leisure costs were highest among deaf people. Personal assistance includes the cost of interpreters for deaf people and trainers for visually impaired people, as well as personal and home care services.
Noel Smith, a Research Fellow at the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University and co-author of the study said: “Official statistics show that 30 per cent of disabled people are in poverty but these figures are based on income and don’t take into account the additional costs of disability. Our research highlights just how substantial these additional costs are and so it clearly shows that the extent of poverty among disabled people is seriously under-estimated. Even maximum benefit levels fall well short of meeting the true costs of disability; and it is equally clear that many disabled people in paid work cannot achieve the income required to meet their needs either. Much could be achieved if society was prepared to fund the sort of improved support services that would reduce costs that currently fall on individuals. But disabled people also need more income so they can achieve an acceptable quality of life and come closer to achieving a ‘level playing field’ with non-disabled people.”
The study is also available to download or to order a print copy on the following website : http://www.jrf.org.uk/bookshop/