Disabled people made up 6 in 10 Covid deaths last year, figures show

‘The government must act now,’ says head of disability charity Sense on shocking new statistics

Nursing home resident during Covid pandemic (AFP via Getty Images)

Disabled people made up six out of 10 deaths involving the coronavirus in England up to November 2020, according to new data.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that of the 50,888 deaths from January to November 2020, just over 30,000 were disabled people – 59.5 per cent.

Disabled people made up only 17.2 per cent of England’s population, indicating that they have been particularly badly affected by the pandemic.

The ONS found that the risk of death from Covid-19 was more than three times greater for severely disabled people than the rest of the population.

The UK’s top disability charities called on the government to address the situation urgently. Richard Kramer, chief executive of Sense, said disabled people had been “largely forgotten” during the pandemic.

“Throughout this pandemic, disabled people and their needs haven’t been prioritised,” he said. “They have largely been forgotten, left without sufficient support, information and communication.”

Mr Kramer said cuts in social care support affecting those living independently had left disabled people at greater risk. “It is not enough that there will be investigation into the disproportionate impact of the virus upon disabled people’s lives, and how society has managed this.”

The charity leader added: “The government must act now, planning its way out of lockdown with disabled people and their family’s needs prioritised, to show that it’s learnt from the mistakes of the past year.”

ONS researchers said no single factor explains the considerably raised risk of death involving Covid among disabled people – saying the type of residence, socio-economic and geographical circumstances, and pre-existing health conditions all play a part.

Between 24 January and 20 November last year, the risk of death involving coronavirus was 3.1 times greater for severely-disabled men in England compared with non-disabled men, data shows. Among women, the risk of death was 3.5 times greater for severely disabled women.

The latest figures also show that for people with a medically diagnosed learning disability, the risk of death involving Covid was 3.7 times greater compared with people who did not have a learning disability.

James Taylor, an executive director at disability equality charity Scope, described the latest figures as “shocking”, and said all disabled people should now be prioritised for the vaccine, regardless of age or condition. “Disabled people have been hit hardest by the pandemic and there is an urgent need for the government to act,” he said.

Mehrunisha Suleman, senior research fellow at the Health Foundation, said the latest figures showed current measures to protect disabled people “are not enough” and that there was “an urgent need for more and better support”.

She said: “Disabled people are more likely to have one or more long-term health conditions, which means they are at greater risk of suffering severe symptoms if they get Covid-19. 

“However, as well as protecting disabled people from exposure to the virus, measures must account for the potential negative effects of lockdown and shielding.”