Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made a comparative assessment of the impact of inflation on (a) disabled and (b) able-bodied people; and if he will make a statement.

The government understands the pressures people, in particular vulnerable groups are facing with the cost of living as a result of high inflation. These are global challenges, but the government is providing support worth over £20 billion across this financial year and next that will help families with the cost of living. This includes £500m of funding available through the Household Support Fund to help those most in need with the cost of essentials such as food, clothing and utilities.

Living with a long-term illness or disability can impact on the cost of living. This is why the government invests heavily in supporting disabled people both in and out of work through the welfare system. The government will spend over £58 billion in 2021-22 on benefits for disabled people and people with health conditions – this is around 2.6% of GDP. This includes Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which is a universal and non-means-tested benefit to help individuals with the extra costs of living with a disability, regardless of their income. Those who have a disability or health condition and receive PIP can also get additional support through premiums or additional amounts within Universal Credit (UC) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

The government is continuing to monitor cost of living pressures and carefully considers the equalities impact of policy on those with protected characteristics, in line with both its strong commitment to promoting fairness and its legal obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in the Equality Act 2010.