Poverty and victimisation against the disabled 'are on the rise'

Published on Wednesday 4 November 2009 18:33

POVERTY and discrimination experienced by disabled people is on the rise, according to a survey conducted by Leonard Cheshire Disability.

Nearly half of those suffering from some form of disability are living on the breadline.

In a survey of disabled people, Leonard Cheshire Disability found that 42 per cent of those surveyed were struggling to live on their current income, a rise of 9 per cent since 2007.

More than half (55 per cent) had no savings, a rise of 6 per cent since 2007. This compared with 12 per cent of the general UK population. Three-quarters with dependent children were living below the poverty line.

The Disability Review 2009 also revealed that 63 per cent of respondents were in fuel poverty, compared with 11 per cent of the general UK population.

The report also found disability discrimination continues to exist across a wide range of other areas, including 9 per cent who reported they had been victims of disability hate crime and 43 per cent of respondents who believed they have been turned down for a job or jobs because of their impairment

John Knight, director of policy and Campaigns at Leonard Cheshire Disability, said: "Disabled people are twice as likely to live in poverty as non-disabled people. Our survey reveals that disabled people are continuing to have very low levels of income, very low levels of savings and are clearly struggling to meet even the basic costs of living.

"With disabled people entering the recession on a profoundly unequal footing to non-disabled people, the need for a government strategy to tackle disability poverty is now more urgent than ever. Disability hate crime can destroy lives and must not be overlooked."

The Disability Review 2009 is the third annual in-depth examination of life for disabled people in the UK today.