Disabled face increasing hostility from strangers, survey finds

Disabled face increasing hostility from strangers, survey finds

Poll shows that attacks have grown worse over last 12 months since controversial benefits reforms were launched

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Daniel Boffey, policy editor
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 14 May 2011 21.09 BST
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A disabled protester during last week's London march against cuts to disability services. Photograph: Sarah Lee


Disabled people have faced greater hostility from the public since the government launched its controversial benefits reforms, according to a survey by a leading charity.

A majority said that they experienced hostility, discrimination and even physical attacks from strangers every week and more than a third claimed the position had worsened over the previous 12 months.

Victims blame ministers for portraying all people with disabilities as scroungers as they seek to cut the number of people on the disability living allowance, the benefit now given to 1.9 million people deemed physically unable to work.

The government has presented changes, including the introduction of medical and psychological tests for those claiming the allowance, as a way of getting tough on people who are cheating the system. But Scope, a charity for disabled people, which commissioned the survey, said there was powerful evidence that the "backdrop of negativity" behind the cuts was leading to a rise in hostility and even violence towards some of the most vulnerable in society.

In the survey, 37% of people with disabilities claimed they were increasingly being abused in the streets, erroneously reported to the benefits fraud hotline and accosted when trying to use parking spaces for the disabled. Nearly two- thirds thought others did not believe they were disabled and half of respondents said they felt others presumed they did not work. Around two-thirds of the 676 surveyed said that they expected to experience discrimination when trying to find a job, and more than half expected to be discriminated against in the workplace.

The findings follow last week's protest by several thousand disabled people through London over cuts to services and benefits provided by central and local government. David Gillon, 47, from Chatham, Kent, who suffers from a debilitating back condition, told the Observer he was left distraught when he was recently reported to the Department for Work and Pensions' fraud hotline.

"I spend only about four hours a week outside the house, but I was contacted by the DWP recently because someone had anonymously reported me for cheating," he said.

"They asked me to come down to the job centre, but I had to explain that every time I went down there I had to have the next day stretched out in bed. They finally relented and came to my house and it took 30 seconds to realise that the allegation was nonsense. I don't know whether it is jealously, resentment or fear, but things are undoubtedly getting worse. I feel more under threat of violence than for years due to the 'jihad' waged against us by the government."

Mark Mayer, 38, from Dorking, Surrey, who has cerebral palsy, said: "It's upsetting when complete strangers feel they can question me. At a supermarket the other day I was getting out of my car and a woman accosted me, demanding to know what my disability was. She said I didn't look disabled and couldn't see my blue badge. I showed it to her and she still demanded to know what was wrong with me, and I had to show her my walking sticks. The nonsense that everyone on disability benefits is a scrounger is adding to this sort of thing."

Richard Hawkes, Scope's chief executive, said he believed the decline in tolerance for disabled people would see fewer taking up jobs and playing a full role in society.

"Much of the welfare reform debate has focused on disabled people as benefit scroungers, and many disabled people feel this has led to the public being more sceptical about disability issues and more hostile to those who receive welfare support," he said.

"Ironically, this backdrop of negativity will only make it harder for the million disabled people who will be migrated off benefits to get a job. Unless disabled people can contribute to society, attitudes will continue to deteriorate and they risk being further excluded from society."