Brexit: social and equality impacts

Long List of Equalities Impacts

Having explored the general impacts of Brexit for equalities groups, the remainder of this report will focus on how Brexit may impact specific groups of people in different ways.

To begin with, the following 'long-list' captures the main impacts of Brexit on 20 equalities groups in Scotland/the UK, including people with the nine 'protected characteristics' listed under the Equality Act, and other additional groups who may experience discrimination, exclusion or inequality due to personal characteristics. The table focuses on three areas:

• legal rights
• public services and funding
• employment, housing, spending/consumer and wider community impacts.

The 137 potential impacts identified below are ones that are considered to be most significant and most widely felt across equalities groups. And while they may represent similar trends (such as the loss of certain rights or services), they are considered distinct in terms of how they occur, who they affect, or both.

Whether or not they are likely to happen depends on a number of variables that are at present difficult to forecast, including:

• whether there is a hard, softer or no-trade deal Brexit;
• whether, under a 'softer' Brexit, the UK makes a commitment to non-regression for EU rights and protections;
• whether the UK signs up to the EU's shared information systems to protect rights;
• whether the UK Government's proposed Shared Prosperity Fund adequately compensates equalities groups for the loss of EU funding and meets their needs;
• whether the UK Government unfreezes benefits and increases public spending to mitigate against any adverse economic impacts of Brexit; and
• whether the UK includes equalities clauses in any future trade agreements.

As such, some of these possible impacts may not come to pass, however, they are important to consider for risk and contingency planning.

Women

Legal Rights	Public Services & Funding	Employment, Housing, Spending and wider community
loss of general right to non-discrimination (contained in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights) and potential loss of secondary EU legislation on rights to protection during pregnancy and maternity leave, working parents' rights, and (since women are more likely than men to work part-time) part-time workers' rights[154], which may be diluted or removed by the UK Government post-Brexit EU legislation protecting victims facing domestic violence, including female genital mutilation (FGM), who escape across borders (European Protection Order)[155] may end potential loss of future rights and protections for women, contained in the EU Work-Life Balance Directive[156], which entered force in August 2019 and is due to be implemented by 2022 – after Brexit	any post-Brexit cuts in public services[157], especially in previously protected budget areas such as the NHS and social care sector (which already face staffing shortages[158]) and unprotected areas such as local government (which, may face the deepest cuts[159]), will adversely affect women, as primary users of social services and associated social infrastructure[160] any potential cuts in women's services (such as women's health services, i.e. antenatal checks and cervical screenings), i.e. in the case that NHS services need to prioritise some services over others, would be deeply felt[161] cuts in EU funding (ESIF and Horizon 2020) will adversely affect the capacity of women's groups to continue projects tackling gender inequality and violence against women and girls (VAWG) and support women into training and employment, if they are not fully replaced under the proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund potential reductions in health and social care services would disproportionately affect women, who are most likely to be expected to take on unpaid caring responsibilities owing to reductions in EU care workers when free movement ends[162]	women make up the majority of the workforce in certain labour market sectors (health and social work, wholesale and retail trade, and education[163]) that are likely to be negatively affected by Brexit, including potential job losses any food price rises after Brexit, especially under a no-trade deal Brexit based on WTO terms[164], are likely to hit the poorest households, which will disproportionately affect women, who are more likely to live in poverty[165], especially single women and single mothers women are likely to bear the brunt of reductions in spending power, as the principal managers of family budgets and 'shock absorbers' of reduced income[166]

Children and Young People

Legal Rights	Public Services & Funding	Employment, Housing, Spending and wider community
potential loss of protections of children's rights guaranteed under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, CJEU case law and secondary legislation. This includes support for child victims under the EU Anti-Trafficking Directive, which has not been fully transposed into UK law, and the right for children to be forgotten online once they grow up, under the EU Data Protection Directive[167] potential loss of child safeguarding and protection measures, including measures to combat child trafficking, child abuse and child sexual exploitation, if the UK discontinues membership of Europol, Eurojust and the European Arrest Warrant Scheme[168] potential loss of protection of children's rights in 'international families' if the UK discontinues membership of the EU family framework (Brussels II bis Regulation[169]) that regulates cross-border family law EU children in custody may lose their rights to settle in the UK after Brexit as they are not able to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme while in prison[170] children of EU nationals may be required to leave the UK if their parents are left without status[171] unaccompanied children seeking asylum may lose their rights to family reunion in the UK under the revised EUWAB[172]	any post-Brexit cuts in public services[173], especially in the NHS and social care sector (which already face staffing shortages[174]) will adversely affect children and young people, especially those from families on low incomes and those dependent on children's services cuts in EU funding (ESIF and Horizon2020) will adversely affect investment in children and young people's organisations and educational programmes that support children's and young people's rights, address social inclusion, improve access to education, support them into the workplace, and ensure their welfare and protection, if they are not fully replaced under the proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund	potential increase of child poverty, due to any post-Brexit cuts in public services, rising inflation, the continued freeze on children's benefits and tax credits, and expected rising living costs (including food prices, rent and utilities)[175] potential increase in child homelessness caused by the above factors any future UK trade deals may not have sufficient safeguarding mechanisms to ensure products and services are suitable for exposure to children or are protected from unsuitable products and services.[176] children of EU nationals may be required to leave their homes in the UK if their parents are left without status/residency[177]

Older People

Legal Rights	Public Services & Funding	Employment, Housing, Spending and wider community
older UK nationals who have retired to other EU countries may lose their rights of residence in that country if they do not meet national requirements, and their social security & State Pension entitlements could be affected (depending on whether a UK-EU agreement makes provision for this), which have thus far been guaranteed under EU law and reciprocity[178] older UK residents in, and travellers to, other EU countries could lose their entitlements to free or reduced cost healthcare (under the European Health Insurance Card scheme) older EU nationals may lose their rights to continue living in the UK if they do not apply for settled status (which older people with dementia and other cognitive impairments are at risk of doing)[179]	any post-Brexit cuts in public services[180], such as the NHS and social care sector (which already face staffing shortages) and other local government services[181], will adversely affect older people, especially those on low incomes[182] any shortages of medications, especially under a no-trade deal Brexit[183], could disproportionately affect older people, who are more likely to have health conditions and require medication access to new medicines may also be affected if the UK fails to remain a member of the European Medicines Agency after Brexit[184], which will disproportionately affect older people, who tend to take more medication than younger people[185] cuts in EU funding (ESIF and Horizon 2020) will adversely affect the capacity of older people's organisations to continue projects and research that tackle age discrimination and inequality, if they are not fully replaced under the proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund	any post-Brexit food price rises[186], in particular in the case of a no-trade deal Brexit on WTO terms[187], are likely to hit the poorest households, which will disproportionately affect older people and pensioners some older people may have to return to residential homes or lose their ability to live independently if there are continuing shortages in personal assistant (PA) care workers (resulting from declining numbers of EU care workers and the potential adverse impact of future salary thresholds for migrant care workers)[188] older people's consumer rights may be affected if the UK opts out of EU shared information systems, such as Europol, thereby reducing cross-border cooperation on scams and criminal targeting of older people[189]

Minority Ethnic people

Legal Rights	Public Services & Funding	Employment, Housing, Spending and wider community
loss of general right to non-discrimination (contained in EU Charter), recourse to the CJEU and potential loss of specific rights and protections against workplace racial discrimination, which are currently contained in EU secondary legislation (regulations, directives, and case law) any amendments or repeal of EU directives on Part-Time Working or Agency Working, will disproportionately affect minority ethnic people who are more likely than average to be in insecure work.[190] For instance, research has shown that black Britons are twice as likely to be working in precarious employment (such as part-time, agency and seasonal work) than white people[191]	any post-Brexit cuts in public services[192], especially in areas such as the NHS and social care sector (which already face staffing shortages) and other local government services[193], will adversely affect minority ethnic communities, as they tend to be substantial users of public services[194] public safety issues: the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary anticipates a further rise in hate crimes in England and Wales when the UK formally leaves the EU; it is unclear what the effects of this might be in Scotland[195] cuts in EU funding (ESIF and Horizon 2020) will adversely affect the capacity of minority ethnic organisations to continue projects and research that tackle racism and discrimination, if they are not fully replaced under the proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic EU nationals (who comprise about 10% of the EU-born population in the UK) are "more likely to be asked for identification to access employment, housing and healthcare" than non-BAME EU nationals.[196] They are disproportionately likely to be affected by changes to immigration laws. Likewise people from visible minorities have a higher potential to experience racial profiling at the UK's ports and airports[197] and be discriminated against during immigration checks by employers and landlords, particularly if "they do not appear to be British."[198]	minority ethnic families, who are more likely to be in low-paid work, have less in savings, and spend a greater than average share of their income on food and rent, are at a higher risk of poverty if there is a post-Brexit economic downturn[199] a majority of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people fear that their career progression will negatively be impacted by Brexit[200] any post-Brexit cuts to the public sector, especially health and social care, which employ a large number of minority ethnic people (for instance black workers have the highest proportion (42%) of any ethnic group working in the public sector[201]) could lead to job losses Brexit may result in job losses in specific sectors employing a high number of minority ethnic people, including the clothing sector and plant and machine operations[202] any food price rises after Brexit[203], especially in the case of a no-trade deal outcome, are likely to hit the poorest households, which will disproportionately affect minority ethnic communities, who are twice as likely to live in poverty than white groups[204]

EU Nationals

Legal Rights	Public Services & Funding	Employment, Housing, Spending and wider community
loss of rights of residence (under EU free movement) in the UK after the end of the transition period loss of recourse to the European Court of Justice in some circumstances and reduced rights to appeal loss of general right to non-discrimination (contained in EU Charter) potential loss of residency rights, if they are unable to meet all the requirements for Settled Status under the EU settlement scheme (certain EU nationals, i.e. care-experienced children and older people are especially vulnerable) and risk of deportation[205] EU nationals in prison are unable to apply for settled status, and will need five years continuous residence after they are released to be considered for settled status[206]	the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary anticipates a further rise in hate crimes in England and Wales when the UK formally leaves the EU; it is unclear what the effects of this might be in Scotland[207] uncertainty around future rights to access public services in the UK due to the significant variation in rights that EU nationals will hold after Brexit (depending on whether they have settled status or pre-settled status, or neither, and for those arriving after Brexit, if they come to live in the UK on a worker's visa or on European Temporary Leave to Remain)[208]. This makes it difficult and potentially confusing for public service providers to know whether they are eligible for benefits, access to healthcare, or other public services	employers and landlords, which are performing the role of border management on behalf of the UK Home Office by conducting checks on migrants to determine whether they have a current right to work and study in the UK, have been shown to have made mistakes and/or discriminated against migrants on the basis of nationality[209] some evidence suggests that landlords, for instance, are discriminating against migrants through the 'Right to Rent' scheme, by 'erring on the side of caution' and opting not to rent to them in case they are proven to be in the UK unlawfully.[210] These effects are likely to be exuberated by changes to the rules around immigration.

Refugees and asylum seekers

Legal Rights	Public Services & Funding	Employment, Housing, Spending and wider community
as the UK Government is not seeking third-country access to the EU's Dublin Regulation scheme for examining asylum applications after the transition period, it has decided not to opt-in to the Dublin IV regulation, and it has proposed to remove the obligation to negotiate an agreement on arrangements between the UK and EU on unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in the revised EUWAB,[211] there is a risk that asylum-seeking children may lose the right to unite with their families in the UK after Brexit, and will be more likely to try and enter using unsafe passages[212] EU laws against trafficking, which disproportionately affect vulnerable and undocumented migrants[213], will end after Brexit	the UK's policies on refugees and asylum seekers are unlikely to change significantly after Brexit[214], aside from the Dublin regulation, and so the reception and entitlements of refugees and asylum seekers to public services are expected to remain broadly the same however, any post-Brexit cuts in public services[215], especially in areas such as the NHS (which already face staffing shortages) and local government[216], will adversely affect refugees and asylum seekers, who are disproportionately reliant on public services, including accommodation and support while asylum claims are being processed, and help with the integration of refugees into local communities[217]	any food price rises after Brexit[218], especially in a no-trade deal scenario under WTO terms[219], are likely to hit the poorest households, which will disproportionately affect refugees and asylum seekers who have few economic resources any rise in the cost of living will especially affect asylum seekers in the UK who, at present, are not allowed to work and must survive on a government allowance of only £37.75 per week while their application is being processed[220]

People on low incomes

Legal Rights	Public Services & Funding	Employment, Housing, Spending and wider community
the EU Working Time Directive could be 'scrapped' by the UK Govt post-Brexit,[221] adversely affecting people on low incomes the EU Part-Time Working and Agency Working Directives – which affect many low-income people on precarious employment contracts - are also vulnerable to amendments or repeal after Brexit, as they are not on the UK statute books	any post-Brexit cuts in public services[222], such as the NHS, social security, and local government services,[223] will adversely affect people on low incomes, especially those on Universal Credit cuts in EU funding (ESIF and Horizon 2020) will adversely affect the capacity of civil society organisations to continue projects that tackle poverty, fund foodbanks, support people on low incomes and encourage people from disadvantaged backgrounds into education and employment, if they are not fully replaced under the proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund	any food and energy price rises after Brexit[224], especially in a no-trade deal scenario[225], are likely to hit the poorest households, which will disproportionately affect people on low incomes Brexit may result in job losses in specific low-paid or low-skilled sectors employing a high number of people on low incomes, including textiles and clothing, transport equipment, social care and plant and machine operations[226] any continued contraction of the construction industry, which has slumped since the EU referendum in 2016[227], will further reduce the number of homes being built, which will have an adverse effect on people on low incomes who require affordable or social housing[228]

Disabled people (including those with long-term illnesses)

Legal Rights	Public Services & Funding	Employment, Housing, Spending and wider community
loss of general right to non-discrimination (contained in EU Charter) and potential loss of secondary EU legislation on rights to non-discrimination and accessibility under the EU Air Passenger Rights Directive disabled UK nationals who are resident in, or travellers to, other EU countries could lose their entitlements to free or reduced cost healthcare (under the European Health Insurance Card scheme)[229] disabled people may lose their rights to use their Blue Badge parking permit in EU countries after Brexit[230] disabled people will likely not be provided with the benefits of the EU Disability Card, which the UK has so far not signed up to potential loss of future rights and protections for disabled people, contained in the European Accessibility Act, currently being discussed in Brussels[231]	any post-Brexit cuts in public services[232], especially in areas such as the NHS and social care sector (which already face staffing shortages) and local government (i.e. transport), will adversely affect disabled people who rely on public services disabled people, and especially people with long-term illnesses, will be disproportionately impacted by any medicine shortages or disruptions to medication and medical aid supply chains (which is possible under a no-trade deal Brexit[233]) access to new medicines may also be affected if the UK fails to remain a member of the European Medicines Agency after Brexit[234], which will disproportionately affect disabled people and people with long-term health conditions cuts in EU funding (ESIF and Horizon 2020) will adversely affect the capacity of disabled people's organisations to continue projects and research that tackle disability discrimination and support disabled people into employment, if they are not fully replaced under the proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund disabled people living in the EU are more vulnerable to any obstacles to cross-border social security coordination, as they are more likely to rely on welfare benefits[235]	any food price rises after Brexit[236], especially in a no-trade deal scenario under WTO terms[237], are likely to hit the poorest households, which will disproportionately affect disabled people, who have higher poverty rates than the rest of the UK population and tend to be on lower incomes[238] disabled people rely more on public transport than the rest of the UK population (almost half of disabled people rely on public transport[239]), and their ability to work may be affected by a reduction in public transport services any reductions in support services (i.e. ESIF funding that is not replaced) to help disabled people into training and employment could have a profound effect on the participation of disabled people in the labour market any continued contraction of the construction industry due largely to Brexit uncertainty[240], which would further reduce the number of new homes being built, will have an adverse effect on disabled people who require accessible or adapted housing "in order to live safe and independent lives"[241]

Pregnancy/Maternity

Legal Rights	Public Services & Funding	Employment, Housing, Spending and wider community
the Pregnant Workers Directive is under threat of being 'scrapped' by the UK post-Brexit[242] under the EU Withdrawal Act (2018) UK courts after Brexit are not required to follow CJEU rulings and case law, for instance to protect pregnant workers potential loss of future rights and protections for mothers, contained in the EU Work-Life Balance Directive[243], due to be implemented by 2022 – after Brexit	any post-Brexit cuts in public services[244], especially in areas such as the NHS (which already face staffing shortages, and which has indicated in one region that it considered suspending some women's health services, including antenatal checks, if a no-deal Brexit had occurred[245]), will adversely affect pregnant women and mothers cuts in EU funding will adversely affect projects aimed at supporting the mental and physical health of pregnant women and mothers, if they are not fully replaced under the proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund	any roll-back in EU-derived employment protections for pregnant and part-time workers could adversely affect the capacity of pregnant women and mothers to stay in/enter the labour market, given their additional caring duties

Faith and religious communities

Legal Rights	Public Services & Funding	Employment, Housing, Spending and wider community
any weakening of equalities legislation as a result of leaving the EU, in particular the loss of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights' freestanding right to non-discrimination, may affect the protections afforded to faith and religious communities	cuts in EU funding (ESIF and Horizon 2020) will adversely affect the capacity of civil society organisations to continue projects that tackle Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, sectarianism, and other forms of faith-based discrimination, if they are not fully replaced under the proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund	some faith and religious groups have experienced an increase in hate crimes UK wide since Brexit, in particular Muslim communities[246] any rise in Islamophobia will continue to have a negative effect on Muslim people's employment prospects and wellbeing UK wide, Muslim women in particular have been the target of hate crimes and discrimination[247]

LGBTQIA+ (including non-binary) people

Legal Rights	Public Services & Funding	Employment, Housing, Spending and wider community
Article 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights prohibits the discrimination based on sexual orientation while the Equality Act protects people with protected characteristics, it does not contain a freestanding right to non-discrimination, unlike the EU Charter[248] after Brexit the "important safety net" of the EU Charter "will no longer exist, and the Parliament will have greater latitude to amend key rights for LGBT+ communities"[249] people from LGBTQIA+ communities will no longer benefit from future EU advancements in LGBT rights or CJEU case law	cuts in EU funding (ESIF and Horizon 2020) will adversely affect the capacity of LGBTQIA+ organisations to continue projects that create visibility and understanding around queer lives and tackle homophobia and discrimination, if they are not fully replaced under the proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund	people from a LGBTQIA+ have experienced increasing hostility and discrimination since the Leave vote (in England and Wales)[250] in the three months after the EU referendum in June 2016, hate crimes against LGBTQIA+ people rose 147% in parts of England, measured against the same period in 2015.[251] In Scotland, the Equality Network conducted a hate crime survey that found that 64% of LGBTQIA people had experienced a hate crime in 2016-17, and 70% had not reported the incident to the police[252]

Gypsy/Travellers

Legal Rights	Public Services & Funding	Employment, Housing, Spending and wider community
as EU Gypsies, Travellers and Roma often lack identity documents, and have different language and literacy abilities and access to technology, they may potentially lose their rights to live in the UK, as they face barriers to meeting the requirements to apply through the online Settlement Scheme[253], risking deportation[254]	cuts in EU funding (ESIF and Horizon 2020) will adversely affect the capacity of civil society organisations to continue projects and research that support the rights of Traveller and Gypsy communities and tackle inequality and discrimination, if they are not fully replaced under the proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund	any food price rises after Brexit [255], especially in a no-trade deal scenario under WTO terms[256], are likely to hit the poorest households, which will disproportionately affect traveller communities who face multiple disadvantage[257] and are the most vulnerable to extreme poverty out of all ethnic groups[258]

Care-experienced people

Legal Rights	Public Services & Funding	Employment, Housing, Spending and wider community
care-experienced EU migrant children may lose their rights to settle in the UK if they do not apply for status in the EU settlement scheme[259] if a child's foster carer is an EU national who loses their status to live in the UK, the foster carer may have to take the child with them[260]	cuts in EU funding (ESIF and Horizon 2020) will adversely affect the capacity of civil society organisations to continue projects that support care-experienced people, and develop routes into education and employment, if they are not fully replaced under the proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund	any food price rises after Brexit[261], especially in a no-trade deal scenario under WTO terms[262], are likely to hit the poorest households, which will disproportionately affect care-experienced young people, who are more vulnerable to poverty and face lower outcomes compared to their peers[263]

People with caring duties

Legal Rights	Public Services & Funding	Employment, Housing, Spending and wider community
under EU law, there is protection from discrimination for people who are caring for disabled people, which could be diluted potential loss of future rights and protections for carers (including annual leave entitlement for workers providing personal care), contained in the EU Work-Life Balance Directive[264], due to be implemented by 2022 – after Brexit	any post-Brexit cuts in public services[265], especially in areas such as the NHS and social care sector (which already face severe staffing shortages, which has been likened to a 'crisis' in the care sector[266]) and local government services[267], will adversely affect people providing unpaid caring responsibilities	any food price rises after Brexit [268], especially in a no-trade deal scenario under WTO terms[269], are likely to hit the poorest households. This will disproportionately affect unpaid carers, who have a higher poverty rate than average (22%)[270], whereby the poverty rate among unpaid carers increases with the number of hours they are caring[271] for foster carers, foster agencies may not wish to approve an EU national whose settlement status is uncertain or temporary (i.e. pre-settled status)[272]

People in remote and rural areas

Legal Rights	Public Services & Funding	Employment, Housing, Spending and wider community
	if public services in remote and rural regions are reduced after Brexit, this will especially impact older people, disabled people and people on low incomes, who are more dependent on public transport and less likely to own a car the expected decline in EU in-migration after Brexit could have an adverse impact on public services in rural /remote communities, due to an overall decline in population, and reduced demand for public services [273] loss of funding for rural communities, including the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), European Social Fund, Common Agricultural Policy, European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, and the LEADER fund[274]	ending free movement will have a particularly adverse effect on labour market sectors in rural and remote areas, which rely on EU migrants to fill local jobs[275] many small businesses and farms in rural and remote areas may find that they are unable to hire enough staff to deliver services, owing to expected declines in EU migration post-Brexit[276]

Precarious workers

Legal Rights	Public Services & Funding	Employment, Housing, Spending and wider community
Agency Workers Directive could be 'scrapped' by the UK Govt post-Brexit, especially as a binding commitment to non-regression on EU workers' rights has been removed from the revised EUWAB[277] Part-time Workers Directive and Fixed Term Workers Directive could also potentially be rolled back, affecting the legal rights of precarious workers		any food price rises after Brexit [278], especially in a no-trade deal scenario under WTO terms[279], are likely to hit the poorest households, which will disproportionately affect precarious workers, who tend to be on lower incomes and are more vulnerable to in-work poverty[280]

Offenders and Ex-offenders

Legal Rights	Public Services & Funding	Employment, Housing, Spending and wider community
EU children serving jail sentences in the UK could lose their right to remain as they are ineligible to apply for EU settled status while they are in jail; those released after the deadline would have "no legal immigration status", which increased the risk of reoffending or deportation[281]	cuts in EU funding (ESIF and Horizon 2020) will adversely affect the capacity of civil society organisations to continue projects that support people who have been touched by the criminal justice system into education, employment and good health, if they are not fully replaced under the proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund	a no-deal Brexit was seen to have 'severe consequences' for the justice system, with the possibility of prison riots if there were food and medicine shortages; these risks to supply chains are still possible under a no-trade deal Brexit[282] such unrest would be damaging to the justice system[283] prisons could be negotiated as part of the UK's future free trade deals, for instance with the USA[284], which could affect the living standards of people in jail

Homeless people

Legal Rights	Public Services & Funding	Employment, Housing, Spending and wider community
some EU nationals who are homeless will not be able to apply for residence through the EU Settlement Scheme, as they lack proof of address or employment, may be unaware of the scheme, or lack access to a smartphone to complete the online application, thereby increasing their risk of deportation[285]	if the economy performs poorly and there are cuts to public spending after Brexit, the number of public services available to homeless people, including shelters, temporary accommodation, and initiatives to support homeless people into employment, may decline cuts in EU funding (especially the ESF) will adversely affect the capacity of civil society organisations to continue projects that support homeless people, and people at risk of homelessness, into secure accommodation, education and employment, if they are not fully replaced under the proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund homeless EU nationals may have difficulty accessing healthcare and other public services, especially if they do not have clear status	any food price rises after Brexit[286], especially in a no-trade deal scenario under WTO terms[287], are likely to hit the poorest households, which will disproportionately affect homeless people, who are likely to be living in poverty[288] any continued contraction of the construction industry due largely to Brexit uncertainty[289], which would further reduce the number of new homes being built, will have an adverse effect on homeless people who require affordable or social housing homeless EU nationals may have difficulty accessing employment or private housing due to landlord and employer checks if the economy performs poorly after Brexit, the number of people at risk of homelessness (especially people on low incomes) is expected to increase[290]

People with substance abuse issues

Legal Rights	Public Services & Funding	Employment, Housing, Spending and wider community
	if the economy performs poorly and there are continued cuts to public spending, the number of services available to people with substance abuse issues, i.e. drug and alcohol services and rehabilitation programmes, will decline, potentially putting lives at risk[291] cuts in EU funding (ESIF and Horizon 2020) will adversely affect the capacity of civil society organisations to continue projects that support people who have problems with drug abuse or addiction to become healthy and find routes into education and employment, if they are not fully replaced under the proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund	any food price rises after Brexit[292], especially in a no-trade deal scenario under WTO terms[293], are likely to hit the poorest households, which will disproportionately affect people with substance abuse issues, who face a range of employability barriers and are more vulnerable to poverty and deprivation[294]

Men

Legal Rights	Public Services & Funding	Employment, Housing, Spending and wider community
potential loss of two weeks paid paternity leave, guaranteed by EU law and originally opposed by the UK Government[295] potential loss of future rights and protections for fathers, contained in the EU Work-Life Balance Directive[296], due to be implemented by 2022 – after Brexit	as men are more likely to die by suicide than women[297], are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease[298], and have higher rates of smoking and drinking than women (which increases the risk of liver and lung disease)[299], and are more likely to develop diabetes[300], they will be disproportionately affected by any post-Brexit cuts in public spending that reduce NHS services	men make up the majority of certain sectors (plant and machinery, agriculture, manufacturing, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and finance) that are estimated to be negatively affected by Brexit, potentially leading to job losses[301] any roll-back in EU-derived employment protections for fathers could adversely affect their career progression, given their additional caring duties as men are at a greater risk of homelessness than women[302], they will be disproportionately affected by any continued contraction of the construction industry due to uncertainty around Brexit[303], which reduces social and affordable housing