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Helter skelter: families, disabled children and the benefit system
- Author:
- PRESTON Gabrielle
- Publisher:
- London School of Economics. Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion
- Publication year:
- 2005
- Pagination:
- 87p.
- Place of publication:
- London
Families with disabled children are susceptible to poverty because low income is compounded by high costs. Combing caring with employment is extremely difficult, so families are heavily reliant upon benefits. But do disability benefits provide financial security for families who are susceptible to high levels of poverty and social exclusion? This qualitative study, based on semi-structured interviews with 20 families who have a disabled child or children, investigates their experience of applying for disability living allowance (DLA) and how they use additional benefit income. Families report that DLA makes a significant difference, not just for the disabled child but for the whole family. However, the fact that DLA is repeatedly downrated or withdrawn generates considerable fluctuations in income and high levels of stress and ill health. The report outlines issues that must be addressed if reduce poverty amongst disabled children is to be reduced.
Social security
- Author:
- VAUX Gary
- Journal article citation:
- Research Matters, 17, April 2004, pp.65-72.
- Publisher:
- Community Care
Looks at a number of research studies which highlight how difficult it can be to reduce social exclusion by improving benefit take-up.
Stop pensioner poverty now: older people - ignored and forgotten
- Author:
- HELP THE AGED
- Publisher:
- Help the Aged
- Publication year:
- 2003
- Pagination:
- 10p.
- Place of publication:
- London
Poverty comes in many different shapes and sizes. but by the government's own admission, and in spite of its claims of commitment to social justice, today's pensioners are very often poor not only in terms of the income they receive, and the quality of their neighbourhoods but also the opportunities available to them to take a full part in society. This document calls upon the government to match its publicly stated commitment to ending child poverty with similar energy on behalf of older people. Fundamental to this is the establishment of a decent universal basic state pension that will deliver basic needs. And there are also more focused reforms and initiatives that we believe will address some of the worst areas of pensioner poverty, that are urgently needed now. These are: bridging the huge gulf between entitlement and claim rates of pensioner benefits; radical improvement in the addition at age 80 to the weekly state pension, which currently stands at a derisory extra 25p: making work pay for poorest pensioners with a decisive increase in the earnings disregard, to £75 a week: ending, the indefensible anomaly whereby disability before age 65 brings a mobility benefit currently denied to those over the age of 65: preventing the scandal of over 20,000 winter deaths each year of older people that happen because we cannot manage the effects of winter cold: helping pensioners to take a fuller part in their neighbourhoods through initiatives such as improved street lighting and consistent free travel opportunities.
Being and becoming: social exclusion and the onset of disability
- Author:
- BURCHARDT Tania
- Publisher:
- ESRC Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion. London School of Economics
- Publication year:
- 2003
- Pagination:
- 73p.,bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- London
It is well known that many disabled people are out of work and living in poverty. But little is understood about the process of becoming disabled: who is most at risk, how it affects their income, and the impact on the rest of the family. This study, seeks to unpick the relationship between the onset of disability and social exclusion for people of working age. People in the poorest fifth of the income distribution are two-and-a-half times more likely to become disabled during a year than those in the top fifth. There is a steep gradient in risk of onset according to other indicators of disadvantage, for example educational qualifications or occupational group. This means the average fall in income associated with becoming disabled is less than might be expected, because many are already on a low income. For people not initially in employment, greater benefit entitlement can result in a small overall increase in income: an average of £17 per week for couples (2003 prices). Someone becoming disabled also affects other members of the household. In single-earner couples, even where it is not the earner who becomes disabled, one in five leave employment. In some cases this is to take on new caring responsibilities
Disability in Somaliland
- Authors:
- TOMLINSON Sally, ABDI Osman Ahmed
- Journal article citation:
- Disability and Society, 18(7), December 2003, pp.911-920.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Civil war lasting into the 1990s destroyed much of Somalia's economic, political and social structures, and conflict still continues in the southern areas of the country. In 1991, the northwest region declared itself the Independent Republic of Somaliland, established a government in Hargeisa and is struggling to rebuild an infrastructure. It is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking high on the UN hunger index, and is the third most heavily land-mined country. One of the most disadvantaged groups of people are the disabled, although there is little general information about numbers and kinds of disability, and few social and medical services. This article presents some limited information about the extent of the nature of disability, and local efforts to improve the lives of disabled children and adults. It reports projects funded by non-government organisations, and concentrates on a seminar held in early 2002 attended by a group of disabled people who made their voices heard.
Social exclusion and the onset of disability
- Author:
- JOSEPH ROWNTREE FOUNDATION
- Publisher:
- Joseph Rowntree Foundation
- Publication year:
- 2003
- Pagination:
- 4p.
- Place of publication:
- York
It is well known that many disabled people are out of work and living in poverty. But little is understood about the process of becoming disabled: who is most at risk, how it affects their income, and the impact on the rest of the family. This study, seeks to unpick the relationship between the onset of disability and social exclusion for people of working age. People in the poorest fifth of the income distribution are two-and-a-half times more likely to become disabled during a year than those in the top fifth. There is a steep gradient in risk of onset according to other indicators of disadvantage, for example educational qualifications or occupational group. The researcher concludes that three policy areas could be enhanced: the health inequalities agenda, to reduce the risk of becoming disabled among the worst off; job retention schemes, to reduce the risk of leaving employment among those who become disabled; and benefits for carers, to give greater recognition to the contribution made by the families of individuals who become disabled.
Participation: north and south; new ideas in participatory development from India and the UK
- Authors:
- MERRIFIELD Juliet, et al
- Publisher:
- Elfrida Press
- Publication year:
- 2002
- Pagination:
- 52p.,bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- London
These lectures review participatory development and joint worrking in social services, education and other provisions in developed and developing countries. Contents include: lessons from anti-oppressive movements; learning and cotizenship; overcoming disability; and participatory processes in the North, lessons from the South.
Who uses welfare benefits advice services in primary care?
- Authors:
- ABBOTT Stephen, HOBBY Lindsay
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 11(2), March 2003, pp.168-174.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
There is considerable interest among organisations such as primary care trusts and health action zones in commissioning welfare benefits advice services in primary healthcare settings as part of local strategies to reduce health inequalities. However, very little is known about the contribution to health of such services or about the health status of those who use them. Reports on a longitudinal study that gathered baseline demographic and health data on 345 research subjects, average age 54 and likely to be unemployed or retired. Over 85% were advised to apply for welfare benefits or appeal against the loss of a benefit, the most common being Disability Living Allowance (over 50% of all subjects). Three-quarters reported physical disability or long-term illness limiting daily activity, and over half reported arthritis or rheumatism. Scores on the short form 36 which quantify self-reported physical and psychosocial aspects of health were much lower than population norms, indicating poorer health. The burden of illness borne by users of these services is not surprising. However, reliable data has not previously been available. It appears that primary care provides good access to advice services for people in middle and old age, but not to other groups (e.g. families with young children, substance misusers or those with mental health problems). Better data collection by advice services, wherever located, would strengthen their understanding of the needs of those whom they serve and help them to identify under-served groups. These data could be used to support requests for continued or extended funding.
'Young carers' and disabled parents: time for a change of direction?
- Author:
- NEWMAN Tony
- Journal article citation:
- Disability and Society, 17(6), October 2002, pp.613-625.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
'Young carers' suffer, it is suggested, from a degradation in mental and physical health, have damaged educational careers, restricted social networks, and will suffer long-term consequences in adult life as a result of their childhood caring roles. This article argues that limited empirical evidence exists for these claims and that, where legitimate concerns arise, they are frequently related to poverty, social exclusion, and unsupported or inadequate parenting, and have no direct relationship to illness or impairment. While dedicated services to young carers have made a valuable contribution in highlighting an important social issue, a radical review of their place in the overall structure of support services for families affected by illness or disability is long overdue.
Inclusive citizenship: social equality for disabled people
- Authors:
- HEAVEN Christine, CHRISTIE Ian
- Publisher:
- Leonard Cheshire Foundation
- Publication year:
- 2002
- Pagination:
- 27p.,bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- London
This report examines disabled people's experience of social exclusion. The report argues that the causes of disabled people's poverty and social exclusion are not the same as the general population's. Disabled people also face higher risks of poverty and social exclusion than the general population.