National Performance Framework - disability perspective: analysis

11. Poverty

National Outcome: We respect, protect and fulfil human rights and live free from discrimination

There are seven indicators for poverty in the national performance framework. However, two lack a demographic breakdown that includes disability, whilst another indicator is a broad societal rather than individual measure, so is not useful for our purposes. Updated data on unmanageable debt was not available. Updated data is available for the remaining three indicators:

Satisfaction with Housing (Pre COVID-19 Data)

Figure 21, below, demonstrates that there was some difference amongst the population of disabled and non-disabled people who were very/fairly satisfied with their housing in the time period 2017 to 2019. In 2019 significantly fewer disabled people (85%) were very or fairly satisfied with their housing, compared to non-disabled people (93%). In addition, between 2017 and 2019 the proportion of disabled people very or fairly satisfied with their housing declined from 89% in 2017 to 85% in 2019.

Relative Poverty after Housing Costs (Pre COVID-19 Data)

According to the FRS, in 2016-19, the relative poverty rates were consistently higher where a household had a disabled member than where they did not. In 2016-19, the poverty rate after housing costs for people in a household with a disabled person was 23% (490,000 people each year). This compares with 17% (530,000 people) in a household without disabled household members.^[62]

The relative poverty measure doesn't take into account the fact that additional living costs may be incurred due to the illness or disability in question. The Scottish Government has made an adjustment to the poverty rates to partly account for additional living costs for those households where someone is in receipt of disability benefits. After excluding Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance and Personal Independence Payments from total household income, after housing costs the poverty rate in 2016-19 was 29% (620,000 people each year) for people living with a disabled household member, and 16% (500,000 people) for those without.^[63]

Food Insecurity (Pre COVID-19 Data)

The SHeS asks respondents if, in the last 12 months, they have ever been worried that they would run out of food because of a lack of money or other resources. If a respondent answers 'yes' to this question they are considered to have experienced food insecurity.

In the period 2017-2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, adults with a limiting long-term condition were consistently more likely to experience food insecurity than adults without a limiting long-term condition. According to the 2019 SHeS, significantly more adults with a limiting long-term condition had experienced food insecurity when compared to adults without a limiting long-term condition (18% compared to 5%).^[64] Figure 22, below, demonstrates that there has been no change in the percentage of adults with a limiting long-term condition experiencing food insecurity in the period 2017-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have exacerbated food insecurity for disabled people. A statement by Scope on 19 March 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, reported that many disabled people were worried about panic buying leading to a lack of essential supplies and a scarcity of supermarket home-delivery slots.^[65] Data from a YouGov poll commissioned by the Food Foundation^[66] shows that disabled adults were disproportionately affected by food insecurity during the first three weeks of lockdown arising due to all three drivers measured - financial hardship, lack of food in shops and isolation.

Findings from Glasgow Disability Alliance (GDA) demonstrated that 47% of their respondents had been worried about their access to food during the pandemic.^[67] GDA members had experienced extra barriers to food security from supermarket delivery slots being overwhelmed and having a minimum spend barrier.^[68] Members of GDA also expressed concerns about delays and gaps in accessing eligibility status for shielding support and delivery priority slots. Many were expected to rely on the goodwill of friends and family when support lines were withdrawn as shielding was paused.^[69]

In addition, over half (53%) of respondents to Inclusion Scotland's April 2020 survey said that they had experienced difficulties accessing food for themselves and those that they care for.^[70]

Additional Indicator

Persistent Poverty (Pre COVID-19 data)

In the UK as a whole, analysis from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) published in 2020 found that, among working-age adults, disabled people had a higher likelihood of having a persistently low income (i.e. 60% of the median). Before housing costs, 13% of disabled people with a limiting condition in 2014/15 to 2017/18 had a persistently low-income, compared to 8% of those with a non-limiting long-term condition and 6% of those with no long-term conditions. After housing costs, 19% of disabled people (with a limiting condition) were in persistently low income in the same period, compared to 12% of those with non-limiting long-term conditions and 10% of those with no long-term conditions.^[71]

Debt (COVID-19 Data)

Research carried out in the UK in April 2020 found that disabled people were more likely to say that they will come out of the coronavirus outbreak in more debt. Findings from Glasgow Disability Alliance's member engagement on COVID-19^[72] found that 57% of disabled people had been worried about money and hardship during the pandemic.

In addition, research from the Women's Budget Group found that disabled people were most likely to say that they will come out of the coronavirus outbreak in more debt.^[73] Looking at disabled women, 34.2% said that their household had already run out of money, compared to 24.4% of non-disabled women.^[74]