7 March 2025
by Robert Armour
Many can't afford to eat and pay bills
Social security is failing disabled people as one in five are being forced to food banks.
Research, conducted by YouGov on behalf of Trussell, reveal the stark reality facing disabled people on benefits.
It shows 77% have gone without essentials in the last six months while just over four in 10 (43%) people claiming Universal Credit and disability benefits have skipped meals to keep up with other essential costs in the last three months.
More than a third (37%) said they had not been able to keep their home warm enough this winter.
Meanwhile, a quarter (25%) of people in receipt of Universal Credit and disability benefits have had to choose between paying for heating/food, or getting a bed/bedding in the last three months.
Trussell is an anti-poverty charity and community of 1,400 food banks across the UK. Disabled people are overrepresented at food banks, as 75% of people referred to a food bank in the Trussell community said that they or a member of their household are disabled.
To fulfil its long-term ambitions, Trussell says the UK government must take serious action to reduce hunger and hardship by investing in social security. Focusing on short term cuts will just push more people deeper into poverty and to hunger and hardship, and this will harm us all.
The charity has joined together with hundreds of communities, food banks and charities including the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, in calling on the UK government to create an Essentials Guarantee in Universal Credit, which means the basic rate at least cover’s life’s essentials and that support can never be pulled below that level.
The majority of participants in the new survey agree, with 83% saying they would support an Essentials Guarantee.
Sumi Rabindrakumar, head of policy and research at Trussell, said: “Trussell’s heartbreaking new findings show that Universal Credit and disability benefits are failing to cover the cost of living, with 77% of people receiving them having gone without the essentials in the last six months.
“Not only that, but one in five people have had to use a food bank. This should not be the case in one of the richest countries in the world.
“We agree with the UK government that disability benefits urgently need reform. But balancing the books cannot come at the expense of people already having to survive on incredibly low incomes, and people with physical and mental ill health conditions.
“Our data shows that disabled people are far more likely to need support from a food bank, which likely reflects that life costs more for disabled people, with additional costs like therapies, treatments, specialist kit to help with day-to-day activities and paid care to think about on top of food, bills and toiletries.
“Welfare and disability benefit cuts risk pushing even more people to the doors of food banks. Many disabled people are terrified of the prospect of cuts to disability benefits, which are already not enough to live on. If the UK government is committed to its promise to end the need for emergency food, it must address underlying barriers to work and flaws in our social security system.
“AIt must also commit to creating an Essentials Guarantee which would ensure everyone can at the very least afford the essentials we all need, such as food, bills and toiletries- not whip away lifelines from people who need them most.”
Benefit system is failing disabled people - TFN
The above information is from a Third Force News (TFN) Newsletter Fri 07/03/2025