Our Government asks following Annual Survey findings

This comes after a major report showed that the rising cost of living and its wider impact are having a negative effect on disabled people’s activity and wellbeing.

The national charity published its latest Annual Disability and Activity Survey report this week that revealed a growing need to reduce disabled people’s cost of living and loneliness to improve activity levels.

The survey found that the rising cost of living is preventing disabled people from being more active, with four in ten (37%) of disabled people say the cost-of-living crisis has affected how active they are. Disabled people reported spending an average of £13.40 less than non-disabled people on being active each month.

The charity believes future payments should be increased from £150 to at least £200, to support disabled people to keep active. This covers three sets of £13.40 - the average difference in the spending by disabled people on being active compared to non-disabled people in a typical month.

What is more, research shows that almost half of disabled people fear losing their benefits if they are seen to be physically active.

In a letter to Members of Parliament, Adam Blaze, CEO of Activity Alliance, outlined four key areas to address. These asks will help to reduce the gap between disabled people's level of inactivity and that of non-disabled people. These include delivering cross-government action, addressing the cost of living, tackling loneliness and protecting benefits.

Activity Alliance is calling on the government to take action to support disabled people:

1. Deliver cross-government action

Disabled people want more influence on the policies that affect them and the activities they are involved in. Disabled people must be consulted on the cross-government action plan for disabled people, with a Cabinet-level position to co-ordinate its work.This and the upcoming sport strategy should have measures for and specifically address some of the challenges faced by disabled people in sport, activity and employment.

2. Address the cost of living 

Disabled people continue to be hit harder by the rising cost-of-living and extra costs. The Disability Cost of Living Payment is welcomed. We believe future payments should be increased from £150 to £200, to support disabled people to keep active. This covers three sets of £13.40 - the average difference in the spending by disabled people on being active compared to non-disabled people in a typical month.

3. Tackle loneliness 

Sport and activity provide vital opportunities to improve wellbeing and tackle loneliness. For many disabled people, mental wellbeing is worse than ever, and many disabled people face significant barriers to access sport and activity and the mental health benefits they provide. The government must ensure there is a specific action plan for disabled people within its Tackling Loneliness work.

4. Protect benefits 

Our research shows that almost half of disabled people fear losing their benefits if they are seen to be physically active. In its proposed changes to the disability benefits system the government must provide safeguards to reassure disabled people that being active will not threaten their benefits.

The report found that disabled people remain far less likely to feel that they have the opportunity to be as active as they want to be (41% vs 70% of non-disabled people). Disabled people were nearly three times more likely than non-disabled people to feel lonely always or often (23% vs 8%). Nearly two-thirds of disabled people who felt lonely agreed that being active could help them feel less lonely (65%).

Sarah Brown-Fraser, Activity Alliance External Affairs Manager, said:

"As an organisation we work tirelessly to achieve fairness for disabled people in sport and activity. This year’s Annual Survey show we need real systemic changes to ensure more disabled people can reap the many benefits from being active.  Policymakers and leaders have an influential role in tackling inequalities in sport and wider society.

"Our four key asks are based on robust insight and disabled people’s lived experiences. As we enter a very important year ahead in politics, we ask parliamentarians to consider our asks. We know that these would make an enormous difference to the lives of people up and down the country.  It is not right or fair that so many in our communities miss out on the physical health and social benefits. We are calling on the government to take action to support disabled people."

You can read the full Activity Alliance Annual Survey report by clicking here.