Bill increases ‘will push disabled people into crisis’

The government has been urged to offer more help to disabled people struggling with the cost of living.

According to Citizens Advice, half of disabled people would be pushed into crisis if their bills went up by £20.

Figures also showed that of those receiving disability benefits:

• over four in 10 are struggling to afford essential items each month
• half are using savings to cover their costs
• one in four are avoiding medical costs
• three in 10 are skipping meals to pay bills

Citizens Advice is worried that upcoming bill increases and proposed cuts to disabilities risk “making a bad situation worse”.

Benefits reforms will put disabled people under more pressure

The charity has called on the government to offer “targeted support” to disabled people and families facing hardship.

“Millions of households are on a financial knife edge, desperately exposed to even the smallest of bill increases,” said Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice.

"Rising prices and no respite from economic blows have chipped away at finances, leaving people without a safety net and even less able to cope with future crises than they were before the pandemic.”

Charities oppose cuts to disability benefits

Citizens Advice, along with other leading charities including Scope, Mind and the Trussell Trust, has already called on the government to rethink its planned benefit reforms, warning that cuts could push 700,000 more disabled households into poverty. 

In an open letter, the charities said they agree with the government’s ambition to support more disabled people into work.

However, they argued there is little evidence that cutting benefits will achieve this goal.

“We would urge you to safeguard disability benefits from cuts, we fear the cost of cuts is too great” the charities wrote.

Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall is set out the government’s changes to the benefits system tomorrow (March 18th).

To find out more about what reforms might be on the way and what help you can get if you’re worried, read our recent article - What we know about possible cuts to PIP and universal credit.