Job search
Job Search
Latest news
More news: (showing 1 - 20 of 13726)           
UK only International

Benefits threat discourages activity in the disabled

By Andy Knaggs    08 Oct 2018
"The Activity Trap: Disabled people’s fear of being active" shows that four in five disabled people would like to be more active, and almost two-thirds of participants said that they are reliant on benefits
We want to work with and across government to make active lives for disabled people possible.
– Andy Dalby-Welsh, deputy chief executive of Activity Alliance

More than six million people in the UK could be living or contemplating a life of inactivity because they are worried about losing life-changing benefit payments.

A new study by Activity Alliance has found that 47 per cent of disabled people – who account for one in five of Britain’s population, making up almost 14 million people – fear losing their benefits if they are seen to be too physically active.

The study, The Activity Trap: Disabled people’s fear of being active, shows that four in five disabled people would like to be more active, and almost two thirds of participants said they rely on benefits such as the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to be active. However, almost half were worried that these benefits could be withdrawn or reduced if they were to be reassessed as too active or independent.

Many are acting upon this fear and becoming less active, the report suggests. One example is the Birmingham Ability Counts League – England’s largest league of disabled footballers. The league had 455 players three years ago and now has just 250. Alan Ringland, chairman of the league, said: “I’ve seen players who have lost their PIP and aren’t able to attend any more. When you see them again, you see that they’ve not been as active as they were; often they have put on weight and over time their health may deteriorate.”

The report goes on to cite other examples where the withdrawal or reduction of PIPs has caused disabled people to be less willing to take part in activities that they enjoy.

Andy Dalby-Welsh, deputy chief executive of Activity Alliance, said: “The numbers within the report, although shocking, give us a starting point for change. We want to work with and across government to make active lives for disabled people possible. We would urge policymakers within national and local Government to take on board the calls for action within this report and the spirit with which it was written.”

Activity Alliance  Andy Dalby-Walsh  inactivity  Birmingham Ability Counts League  UK 
Sign up for FREE ezines
Related news

Company profile

Company profile: Perfect Gym Solutions S.A.
Perfect Gym is a global software provider specialising in fitness and recreation facility management solutions. Trusted by over 1,500+ sites across 55+ countries, our scalable platform caters to a diverse array of businesses.
View full profile >
More company profiles

Featured Supplier

Sprung Gym-Flooring: leading fitness flooring provider paves the way for top performance
Introducing Sprung Gym-Flooring, where innovation meets excellence in the world of flooring and sports solutions.
View full details >
More featured suppliers

Property & Tenders

Location: Loughton, IG10
Company: Knight Frank
Location: Grantham, Leicestershire
Company: Belvoir Castle
Location: Verwood, Dorset
Company: AVISON YOUNG
Location: Hall Place House, Bexley, DA5 1PQ
Company: London Borough of Bexley
Location: 15 Concessions across the nation's forests
Company: Forestry England
More properties & tenders

Diary dates

11-14 Apr 2024
Exhibition Centre , Cologne, Germany
22-24 Apr 2024
Galgorm Resort, York
10-12 May 2024
China Import & Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou, China
23-24 May 2024
Large Hall of the Chamber of Commerce (Erbprinzenpalais), Wiesbaden, Germany
More diary dates