Disabled women in ‘very bleak’ situation as almost a third running out of money in lockdown, study finds

‘Disabled people have lost out from the government’s support packages: while Universal Credit was increased, Employment and Support Allowance stayed at the same rate,’ says Women’s Budget Group director

The report, carried out by Fawcett Society and Women’s Budget Group, found six in ten disabled women are struggling to buy necessities from the shops during the lockdown (iStock/Getty)

A third of disabled women have nearly run out of money during lockdown due to the coronavirus crisis having a disproportionate impact on them, a damning new study has found.

Researchers warn the findings illustrate a “very bleak” situation for disabled women, with coronavirus exacerbating Conservative Party austerity measures that disproportionately affect that group.

The report, carried out by Fawcett Society and Women’s Budget Group, found six in 10 disabled women are struggling to buy necessities from the shop during lockdown.

Researchers from the two leading gender equality charities discovered this is substantially higher than the 46 per cent of non-disabled men finding it difficult to get hold of staple items.

The report, conducted alongside Queen Mary University London and London School of Economics, also found six in 10 disabled women are fearful of not being able to access medicine.

Disabled women were also found to be disproportionately facing destitution — with a third of disabled women saying their household had almost run out of money, compared to a fifth of able-bodied women and men saying the same.

Some 38 per cent of disabled women who have children said they were finding it difficult to ensure their children have food to eat during the coronavirus emergency.

Mary-Ann Stephenson, director of the Women’s Budget Group, said: “The Covid-19 crisis comes on top of cuts to social security and public services that have disproportionately hit disabled women so it’s shocking but not surprising that a third of disabled women report that they have nearly run out of money.

“But disabled people have lost out from the government’s support packages: while Universal Credit was increased, Employment and Support Allowance stayed at the same rate. At the same time, many disabled people have been left without access to care services and other support. As we move out of lockdown the government must take urgent action to assess the specific needs of disabled women, and take action to meet them.”

The report found a fifth of disabled women said they had lost support from the government during lockdown, while almost half reported having lost help from other people.

Bethany Young, of disabled women’s collective Sisters of Frida, said: “Sisters of Frida recognises the significant barriers facing disabled women as a result of the response to the coronavirus crisis. Intersectional experiences need to be seen and valued. Visibility and policy change is essential, without it we will struggle against even deeper social inequality long after the lockdown ends.”

Disabled women were found to be suffering from social isolation and loneliness more than others — with a quarter saying they had not ventured out of the house once in the last week, in comparison to 17 per cent of all those polled.

Sam Smethers, Fawcett Society’s chief executive, said: “Disabled women’s experiences of this lockdown have been hidden from view until now. Yet the levels of disadvantage and pressure they face are immense and amongst the highest we have seen. It is not surprising that over half report high levels of anxiety. Government must reinstate the duty on local authorities to provide support which was removed under the emergency Covid legislation. Our data suggests disabled women are suffering as a result.”

In February, The Independent reported a woman in a wheelchair was forced to subsist on £1 ready meals and no heating after her disability benefits were axed due to being able to walk four steps during an assessment.

The organisations involved in the new report are urging the government to implement a number of measures to ease the “immense pressure” disabled women are enduring during the lockdown. They want the government to increase Employment Support Allowance payments so it is in step with the £20 rise in other benefits such as Universal Credit. Up to two million disabled people have missed out on this rise due to the fact they have the “misfortune to be on legacy benefits”, researchers said.

The report also calls for the government to urgently increase child benefit to £50 per child every week, reassess the fact the 2020 Coronavirus Act has lifted some requirements for councils to give disabled people help, and establish when this change will be rescinded — as well as making sure personal protective equipment (PPE) and coronavirus testing is dished out to care home staff, in addition to carers and personal assistants who go into people’s homes.

Professor Sophie Harman, professor of international politics at Queen Mary University of London, said: “The survey results paint a very bleak picture for people with disabilities, but my fear is the worst is yet to come with the easing of restrictions.

“From specific issues such as face coverings (who can wear them, impossibility of lip reading) to wider isolation to sector cuts and restricted access to services. This suggests an urgent need to account for and include people with disability in all decisions over lockdown easing.”