Disabled people ‘could face extra costs of £15k a year by end of the decade' as welfare vote looms

Independent

9 hours ago

Disabled people could face extra costs of almost £15,000 a year by the end of the decade, according to charity analysis published ahead of a vote on controversial welfare reforms.
Analysis from disability equality charity Scope estimated that average monthly costs – not taking into account welfare reforms – to cover the extra needs of disabled people will rise to £1,244, totalling almost £15,000 a year, by April 2029.
The current extra costs for disabled people are estimated to be £1,095 a month.
People with disabilities often have higher household costs, such as higher energy bills, and extra costs for specialist mobility equipment. Scope has warned that, despite a government U-turn on welfare cuts, disabled people will still be subjected to a 'two-tier system' where 'huge numbers' of people are still out of pocket.
The government's welfare bill, which will be voted on on Tuesday, included a major package of cuts to social security payments. Changes to the Personal Independence Payment (Pip) include a higher bar for eligibility, with claimants having to score four points in one category to be eligible.
Many Labour MPs wanted these changes scrapped, but the government has offered a compromise it they would only apply the new rules to new claimants, and conduct a review of the criteria.
The health element of universal credit was also due to be frozen in cash terms; however, ministers have now agreed to lift it in line with inflation. Ministers were forced into the 11th-hour climbdown on Friday as they were facing a major backbench rebellion by more than 100 MPs.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has said that he did not turn his attention fully to the welfare bill rebellion until Wednesday night last week, as he was 'heavily focused on what was happening with Nato and the Middle East all weekend'.
He told The Sunday Times: 'I turned my attention fully to it when I got back from Nato on Wednesday night. Obviously, in the course of the early part of this week we were busy trying to make sure Nato was a success.
'From the moment I got back from the G7, I went straight into a Cobra meeting. My full attention really bore down on this on Thursday. At that point, we were able to move relatively quickly.'
While Sir Keir has said his welfare reforms now strike "the right balance", Scope argued the changes will still result in "catastrophic cuts", with some disabled people protected and supported but others not.
The charity's latest report is based on analysis of the Family Resources Survey (FRS) and makes calculations using Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) inflation forecasts to show the likely extra costs faced by disabled people in the coming years.
It does not take into account the impact of the welfare reforms, with the charity warning that the figures highlight that those people who do not get Pip could end up in a 'precarious financial position and will still face high extra costs'.
It estimated extra costs for disabled people are currently at £1,095 a month, up from last year's level of £1,010.
Scope said benefits do not cover the entirety of these costs, with a current monthly shortfall of around £630, likely to rise to a £704 shortfall by the end of the decade.
James Taylor, executive director of strategy at Scope, said: 'Life costs an enormous amount more when you're disabled. Whether it's higher electricity bills because of medical equipment to power, or higher heating bills because of health conditions affected by the cold.
'Our latest analysis finds the price tag of disability is now £1,095 a month. A figure only set to increase in the coming years unless action is taken.
'The government must change course on these catastrophic cuts now, and properly co-produce with disabled people on how to reform our welfare system.'
A government spokesperson said: 'We're delivering one of the biggest packages of welfare reforms in a generation – including scrapping the work capability assessment, rebalancing universal credit, and investing in tailored employment support.
'Protecting people is a principle we will never compromise on, which is why we're delivering long-lasting and meaningful change that puts the welfare system on sustainable footing so the safety net will always be there for those who need it.'