Support our campaign by writing to your MP to ask them to take action.

Write to your MP or view Easy Read how to write to your MP about energy costs

Our actions

On 2nd November 2022, the Disability Poverty Campaign Group (which we are part of) and Disability Benefits Consortium sent a letter to Rishi Sunak (PDF) outlining our key concerns.

A summary of the letter is below, or view our Easy Read summary on the rising cost of energy.

The scale of the crisis

The cost of living crisis is hitting Disabled people hard, forcing many to choose between heating and eating. The government must act now.

Too many Disabled people lived in poverty before the cost of living crisis hit. Now 4 in 10 Disabled people already cut back on food and other essentials and 600,000 Disabled people have less than £10 per week to live on.

Many of us have higher heating and electricity costs, we need to keep our homes warm to manage our health, some use electricity for essential equipment, such as powerchairs, ventilators and dialysis machines. Cutting back on those costs will have a huge impact on our health and wellbeing.

This crisis affects some Disabled people even more than others, including:

• Women, especially single mothers
• Children
• People of colour
• People with complex needs
• People in rural areas and
• People who are elderly.

Why this is happening

• The benefits system does not compensate for true costs of Disability;
• It costs on average £550 more per month to live as a Disabled person. People with more complex needs spend up to £1000 to meet their extra costs.
• Local authorities plug the gap in their social care budgets by taking away Disability benefits people get
• Disabled people in work earn less compared to their non-disabled colleagues

Disabled people’s poverty is a testament to systemic discrimination we face on daily basis.

Please write to your MP to raise concerns about the impact of the crisis on Disabled people.

The government is failing Disabled people

The support announced by the government will not be nearly enough to compensate for a huge increase of energy costs and inflation. Many Disabled people will not benefit from £150 payment, as at the same time they will lose this money due to changes to the Warm Homes Discount scheme.

Together with other organisations involved in Disability Poverty Campaign Group we are calling on the government to act urgently to help thousands of Disabled people survive through the winter.

Actions that are immediately required

• Benefits must be increased by at least 13%, because this is the current rate of inflation (increase in costs)
• People who use social care have a Minimum Income Guarantee. This guarantee must be increased by at least the rate of inflation. The guarantee must be increased every year.
• Change the Warm Home Discount so that the 300,000 people who receive disability benefits can get the Warm Home Discount again, as it was wrongly taken away
• Stop taking money from benefits to pay for arrears (debt)
• Make more payments to low-income Disabled people. Review disability benefits to see if they need to be increased due to increased costs

Further actions

• The government must work with organisations led by Disabled people to make social care free at the point of need.
• Increase the number of people who receive Carer’s Allowance. Currently not enough people know they can get Carer’s Allowance.
• Change the benefits system so it is easier, faster and guarantees every Disabled person a right to an adequate standard of living.

What you can do

Please write to your MP to support our campaign and ask them to call on the government to take urgent action.
Write to your MP

An easy read guide on how to write to your MP

Where to get help

We put together information about support available for Disabled people
Cost of living resources