Vulnerable people in South Yorkshire having to come up with 'creative & unsafe' methods to keep warm
Jennifer Jones from 'Disabled People Against Cuts' says this winter has been a nightmare for many
Disabled people are almost twice as likely to report being unable to afford to keep their home warm than the non-disabled, according to a think-tank.
Around two-fifths (41%) of disabled people said they could not afford to keep their home warm, as did just over one fifth (23%) of people without a disability, the Resolution Foundation found.
Almost half (48%) of disabled adults said they have had to cut back on energy use this winter, as have nearly a third (32%) of people without a disability.
Nearly a third (31%) of disabled people reported having to reduce their food spending, alongside 18% of people without disabilities.
Because of the wide range of disabilities, there will be important differences between how people are affected, the Foundation said.
Those who are housebound or suffering limited mobility, for example, may be more affected by rising heating bills due to increased time spent in the home.
The report combined statistical analysis with a new YouGov survey of just under 8,000 working-age adults, with more than 2,000 saying they have a long-term illness or a disability.
The findings indicate disabled people account for nearly a quarter (23%) of the working-age population, up from 17% in 2013.
The report also noted disabled people are far more likely to be poor than the rest of the population.
A third (33%) of adults in the lowest 10% of household incomes have a disability, compared with 9% in the highest 10% of incomes.
The income gap is partly explained by the relatively low employment rate for disabled people, although in-work disabled people face an increased risk of being on lower incomes too, the Foundation said.
Just over half (54%) of the working age disabled population is in work, it said, compared with fourth fifths (82%) of the non-disabled population.
Recently announced Government support, which includes the repeating of the ÂŁ150 disability cost-of-living payment in 2023, will help millions of people with disabilities in the short-term, the Foundation said.
But it said further measures will be needed and should ideally have a broader focus on lower living standards for the disabled population and support for those who wish to work and those who cannot.
Charlie McCurdy, an economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: "While fast-rising prices for essentials is impacting people across the UK, people with disabilities are more exposed to the most severe effects, with two-in-five now unable to heat their homes and almost one-in-three cutting back on food expenditure.
"This means people with a disability - who account for a third of the poorest households in Britain - will require additional protection during the cost-of-living crisis, which the Government has acknowledged through their cost-of-living payments.
"But more policy work will be needed, not just through this crisis but to make more progress on closing the huge income gaps that already existed between disabled people and the rest of the population."
Jennifer Jones from Disabled People Against Cuts in Sheffield says it's led to some having to call the emergency services because their electric blankets have overheated:
"Disabled and elderly people are using old or second-hand, unsafe equipment to try and keep warm.
"This is out of pure desperation. They're waking up in a bedroom full of smoke and have to call the fire brigade as a result.
"We're seeing people get injured because they're trying to find creative ways to stay warm. Life shouldn't be like this for anyone."
The Government recently gave more details on the payments schedule for the latest round of cost-of-living support, following on from previous payments.
New ÂŁ900 cash support for more than eight million eligible means-tested benefits claimants, including people on universal credit, pension credit and tax credits, starts in the spring and will go directly to bank accounts in three payments.
There will also be a separate ÂŁ150 payment during summer 2023 for people with disabilities and a ÂŁ300 pensioner payment during winter 2023/24.
More information about the Government's cost-of-living support and what is available is at helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk.