Monitoring poverty and social exclusion

This annual report, written by the New Policy Institute (NPI) for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, assesses the progress in tackling poverty and disadvantage across the UK

The report focuses on money, housing, work, benefits and services, among other indicators.

Key findings

Poverty and disability

The proportion of disabled people and their families living in poverty has fallen over the last ten years by around 5%, much more so than for those in families with no disabled member. However pensioners make up a greater share of disabled people than of the overall population. Pensioner poverty has recently fallen much more quickly than for other age groups, which skews the statistics in relation to those of working age, who have a disability.

Poverty, disability and work

Levels of employment and economic activity are lower for disabled men and women than for non-disabled men and women. In 2013/14, 51 per cent of disabled men and 46 per cent of disabled women were in employment. For non-disabled men and women, the figures were 85 per cent and 75 per cent respectively.

A much larger share of disabled men and women want work, however, and this is true whether just the unemployed (seeking work and available to start it) or the inactive (would like work but are not seeking or available to start) are considered. 9 per cent of disabled men are unemployed and 14 per cent are economically inactive but would like to work. In contrast, 6 per cent of non-disabled men are unemployed and only 2 per cent are inactive but wanting work. For disabled women, 6 per cent are unemployed and 14 per cent are inactive but would like work. 5 per cent of non-disabled women are unemployed and another 5 per cent are inactive but wanting work.

So while disabled men and women are less likely to be in work, many would like to be.

Poverty, disability, education and work

Those with lower levels of qualifications are more likely to be inactive but wanting work and more likely to be low paid than those with qualifications.

11 per cent of adults with a disability and at least a Level 3 qualification are lacking but wanting work, compared with 2 per cent of adults without a disability and the same level of qualification. 18 per cent of disabled adults without a Level 3 qualification are inactive but wanting work, compared with 9 per cent of non-disabled adults.

Disabled adults with a Level 3 qualification in work are more likely to be low paid than non-disabled adults with a Level 3 qualification - 20 per cent compared with 14 per cent. The same is true for those without Level 3 qualifications - 46 per cent of disabled adults without a Level 3 in work are low paid, compared with 38 per cent of non-disabled adults.

You can download the full report at http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/monitoring-poverty-and-social-exclusion-2014

- See more at: www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/2014/november/monitoring-poverty-and-social-exclusion