Guest blog: ‘I struggle just to get through the days alive’

In January, the Scottish Parliament Cross Party Groups (CPGs) for Poverty and Disability came together for a joint meeting to hear how these two social issues merge to devastating impact.

Glasgow Disability Alliance was asked to set the scene, describing the poverty and inequality our members and wider disabled people are facing in Scotland today. Evidence from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Scope and others show the risk of ‘deep’ poverty is 60% higher in families where someone is disabled than families where no one is disabled. However, it is the lived experience of GDA members that really drives home just how bleak things are.

Over the summer of 2024 GDA conducted a survey into the cost of living crisis, access to services and the impact on disabled people, completed by 621 members. The results, some of which I shared with the CPGs, revealed:

• 93% were worried about money and financial security
• 71% could not manage to meet needs on their income (through benefits or work);
• 86% couldn’t find accessible welfare rights support, outwith GDA;
• 89% could not access mental health services which met needs;
• 87% could not access healthcare that met their needs;
• 68% could not pay utilities costs without cutting back other spending;
• 67% could not access social care that met their needs.

Comments left in the survey capture how disabled people’s lives are getting smaller and more desolate due to poverty and inequality. This is summed up by one respondent:

“I struggle just to get through the days alive and with my basic needs met, I have no time, energy, or support to allow me to actually do anything that might make life worth living.”

The CPGs also heard from John McArdle of the Black Triangle Campaign, which has documented hundreds of cases of disabled people who have died from poverty and the inadequacy of disability benefits. John described how disabled people’s fears are being heightened by speculation around the Labour Government’s upcoming changes, or more bluntly cuts, to disability benefits, exacerbated by a hostile media attacking disabled people and denying the reality of our daily lives.

The injustice of what is happening with benefits was then highlighted by Bill Scott who spoke about the Judicial Review recently won against the DWP by disability campaigner, Ellen Clifford. The ruling found the official consultation setting out the proposals was rushed, misleading and unlawful, as it failed to mention that up to 450,000 disabled people would see their benefits cut, many losing as much as £416 a month.

The meeting came to a close with remarks from Kaukab Stewart, Minister for Equalities; Paul O’Kane, Convener of the CPG on Poverty; and Jeremy Balfour, Convenor for the CPG on Disability. They all agreed it was hard to listen to the evidence and stated their commitment to working together, cross-party, to improve disabled people’s lives.

Disabled people have experienced increasing poverty, inequality and human rights regressions, as confirmed by the UN Committee on the Rights of Disabled People, which reported in 2024:

“[N]o significant progress has been made… concerning the situation of persons with disabilities…[the UK and devolved administrations] have failed to take all appropriate measures to address grave and systematic violations of the human rights of persons with disabilities.”

Disabled people must not be left behind by governments and those in power. Rather than warm words, we need urgent and bold action so that disabled people get the essential support to be able to live a life worth living.