Thank you for contacting me about disabled people and the cost of living.
Both the Government and I are committed to ensuring the best possible quality of life for people with disabilities. The Government recognises the additional barriers faced by people with disabilities and has acted to protect the most vulnerable with the cost of living.
The Government has continued to protect the most vulnerable by increasing benefits by 10.1 per cent for 2023/24, in line with inflation. This means that more than ten million households in receipt of working-age and disability benefits will see an increase in their benefit payments. The average uplift for households receiving Universal Credit will be around £600.
Moreover, disabled people will receive a second Disability Cost-of-Living Payment of £150 in recognition of the extra challenges they face. There will also be additional one-off payments of £900 for the eight million households on means-tested benefits and a second £300 Pensioner Cost-of-Living Payment.
Both DLA and PIP are intended to act as a contribution towards the extra costs that arise as a result of a long-term health condition, or disability, and have been non-means tested since they were introduced.
The Government has no plans to means-test these benefits.
The Government is maintaining the Energy Price Guarantee at £2,500 between April and June 2023, saving the average household £160 for this period. This measure will ensure that households are supported through spring when energy costs are expected to remain high and until the effects of reduced wholesale prices are expected to feed through into lower household bills later this year. Taken together, the Government is subsidising around half of household energy bills.