Low pay leaves disabled workers exposed to rising costs

A “massive” income gap means disabled workers are “hugely exposed” to the rising costs of living, according to research by the Resolution Foundation which found that two-in-five are unable to heat their homes and nearly a third are cutting back on food.

The report, called Costly Differences, based on survey data from 8,000 working -age people, found that those with a disability – a quarter of the total – faced a disposable income gap of 44%. This leaves them more likely to experience material deprivation (34% compared to 13%) and less likely to afford everyday essentials such as food and energy.

Almost half (48%) of disabled adults have had to cut back on energy use this winter, compared to almost one third (32%) of people without a disability, says the survey. Around two fifths of people with a disability (41%) couldn’t afford to warm their homes, compared to just over one fifth (23%) of the non-disabled population.