Poverty: Disability
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of her proposed reforms to the welfare system on the poverty rate for households with at least one disabled (a) child and (b) adult.
Answered by Alison McGovern
No assessment has been made on this basis.
Definitions of disability in the Policy Simulation Model, which is used to model poverty impacts of a policy, differ from those used in the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) poverty statistics. It has therefore not been possible to estimate the impact of the package on the level of poverty amongst individuals living in families with a disabled person, as this requires an estimate to be made using the HBAI definition. However, given the balance of the package we would expect much of the increase in poverty to be focused amongst individuals in this family type.
The government's impact assessment regarding Health and Disability Reform is available at Spring Statement 2025 health and disability benefit reforms - Impacts.
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