The Disability Price Tag 2019

Life costs more for disabled people and their families. Spending more on essential goods and services like; heating, insurance, equipment and therapies. These extra costs mean disabled people have less money in their pocket than non-disabled people, or simply go without.
 
Therefore, disabled people are likely to have a lower standard of living, even when they earn the same. We’re calling for the financial inequality disabled people and their families face to end once and for all.

Our research shows that:

• On average a family with a disabled child faces an extra cost of £581 per month. For 1 in 5 families these costs equal over £1000 per month.
• On average a disabled adult faces an extra cost of £583 per month. This means that disabled people’s money doesn’t go as far. £100 for a non-disabled person is equivalent to just £68 for a disabled person.

Campaigning to tackle the financial penalty of disability

We’re calling on Government to tackle the extra costs faced by disabled people and their families. We need action in four areas:

Universal Credit (UC)

• Use the trial of ‘managed migration’ to ensure disabled people don’t lose access to financial support as they move to UC
• Work with disabled people and disability organisations to develop new components within UC to offset loss of support
• Work with families and disability organisations to ensure disabled children receive support to help meet extra costs.

Personal Independence Payments (PIP)

• Reform the PIP assessment to accurately capture extra costs faced by disabled people.

Warm Home Discount

• Reform core eligibility criteria so that support can be more effectively targeted at disabled people.

Early Intervention and Family Resilience fund

• Set up an Early Intervention and Family Resilience Fund. Investing in emotional support for the whole family at the point of diagnosis.