Self-Isolation Support Grant: equality impact assessment

Disability

The Scottish Health Survey,^[19] estimates that in 2018, 33% of adults (and 12% of children) in Scotland were disabled, defined as having a limiting long-standing condition.

The survey provides an accurate estimate of the number of disabled working age people in Scotland. For young people aged 16-24, 24% of young people have a limiting longstanding illness. This number raises to 30% for individuals aged between 25-34, 32% between 35-44, 46% between 45-54 and, finally, 60% between 55-64.

The proportion of adults providing unpaid care for a family member, friend or someone else remained at 15% among those aged 16 and over and 4% for children aged 4-15.

This same survey indicates that disabled adults are likely to fall into the lowest household incomes - in 2018, 51% of adults with household incomes in the bottom quintile (less than £14,300) were disabled, compared with 23% adults with household incomes in the top quintile (£49,400 and above).

Disabled people represent a third of all Scottish adults, and half of all adults with household incomes are amongst those on the lowest incomes in Scotland. Without support in place, the impact of the modification would be to exacerbate already existing income inequalities faced by this group. The current support for staying at home, the SISG, provides some mitigation for this. This grant has always been targeted at those workers on low incomes who cannot work from home, and is currently available to people who stay at home, lose income, and earn the equivalent of the real living wage or less.

In terms of practical support, the Local Self-Isolation Assistance Service provided direct assistance, which could support the needs of disabled people, alongside the wider population. Above, the ONS figures highlight that almost a quarter of disabled people surveyed – more than double the non-disabled population, have required support with groceries, food and essential medicine delivery and the provision of essentials. This is the very service that the Local Self-Isolation Assistance Service provides, alongside social support or signposting to mental health support.

In 2017-20, the poverty rate after housing costs for people in households with a disabled person was 23% (500,000 people each year). This compares with 17% (540,000 people) in a household without disabled household members.

Again, in 2017-20, as in previous years, the poverty rate was higher for individuals in households with a disabled person, when disability-related benefits are not included in the household income. After housing costs, the poverty rate was 29% (640,000 people each year) for people living with a disabled household member, and 16% (500,000 people) for those without.

With regards to information available covering from March 2021 to July 2022, a total of 2,930 awards (3.7%) were made to carers out of 80,114 awards, for which this information was available. Our information on acceptance rate is incomplete and no additional information is currently available^[20].

Impact of changes brought in from 1 May 2022

As stated previously, in relation to other protected characteristics, there is no data currently available to suggest that the protected characteristic of disability has been negatively impacted by the changes brought in from 1 May 2022.