Inequalities and challenges experienced by disabled people in Scotland: evidence review

Introduction

This evidence review synthesises available evidence on the inequalities (where comparable data is available) and challenges experienced by disabled people in Scotland drawing on research from the period 2019-2025. This report also presents evidence on demographic information and outcomes for disabled people to understand the baseline population figures and to build a picture of how many people these issues may affect.

The Scottish Government’s Disability Equality Plan^[1] was published in June 2025 and sets out a vision to build a “fairer Scotland in which disabled people of all ages can flourish”. The plan sets out an initial phase to address inequalities faced by disabled people in Scotland. The plan outlines three key priorities for improving the lives of disabled people in Scotland:

1. Providing financial support for disabled households.

2. Disabled people’s full inclusion and participation in their lives, communities, and Scotland.

3. Improving Mental Health.

This Evidence Review is one part of the work to realise the Disability Equality Plan in which Action 10 sets out a commitment to:

“Improve our approach to evidence-based policy making and align with the Equality Evidence Strategy 2023-2025 so we can measure improvements in disabled people’s lives. We will gather and publish new, robust, quantitative and qualitative evidence, that is both disability-specific and intersectional.”

This Evidence Review therefore aims to address this commitment by publishing a report gathering together existing disability-specific and intersectional evidence, on which future recommendations can be made for improving the lives of disabled people in Scotland. Specifically, it will cover evidence on inequalities and challenges to better understand the issues in the three priority areas outlined in the Disability Equality Plan. Disabled People’s Organisations were given the opportunity to review and provide feedback on this report. This report will be used to support ongoing discussions with Disabled People’s Organisations.

More broadly, the publication of this evidence review also supports a wider commitment to strengthening the use of equality and intersectional evidence for public and corporate policy design, monitoring and evaluation, as outlined in the Equality Outcomes report 2025-2029.

We have taken significant steps support a Scotland where all disabled people can live the lives they choose, with the support that they need to do so.

Our Disability Equality Plan was made in response to the challenges disabled people face. Our recent 2026/27 budget puts disabled people at the centre with £3.5 million of investment, and sets out a three-year funding settlement, all to support progress on increasing equality.

A key focus has been on financial support for disabled households.

We have built a new social security system, delivered by Social Security Scotland, where we actively promote take-up of devolved benefits to ensure that those in need can access the vital support they are entitled to. By establishing a range of new benefits, such as Pension Age Disability Payment, we have increased the number of benefits available, including some which are only available in Scotland.

Through the introduction of Child Disability Payment, Adult Disability Payment and Pension Age Disability Payment, the Scottish Government has transformed financial support for disabled people in Scotland.

Child Disability Payment, which has been available in Scotland since 2021, has offered disabled young people a number of improvements such as extending eligibility to 18 years, and ensuring continuity for young people and their families during their transition into adult services.

When Adult Disability Payment was introduced in 2022, routine private sector assessments and degrading physical examinations were abolished. Instead, person-centered consultations are carried out only when they are needed and by health and social care practitioners employed by Social Security Scotland.

We are also working to support disabled people to be able to participate fully in their lives and communities.

As part our commitment to halving the disability employment gap by 2038, we have implemented Specialist Employability Support through our devolved employability services across all 32 Local Authorities. This aims to help more disabled people access support at the right time to help enter and sustain fair work and delivers tailored, one to one support for disabled people and those with long term health conditions.

Housing adaptations are vital to enabling disabled people to live safely, comfortably and independently. In 2025-26, the Scottish Government more than doubled our budget for Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) Adaptations Programme from £8.5 million to £20.9 million, which has helped RSLs to deliver around 8,500 general adaptations and 40 major adaptations. The Scottish Government has protected RSL Adaptations Programme budget maintaining this at £20.9 million for 2026-27. This commitment allows us to continue to support 85 RSLs meet their responsibilities to deliver housing adaptations to disabled tenants.

The Care Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 introduces measures that address inequalities experienced by disabled people who use social care services. This includes strengthening rights for people living in care homes, where residents are more likely to be disabled or have complex health needs. Alongside these measures the National Care Service Advisory Board has been established to drive improvement and make sure services are consistent, fair and high-quality by providing strong independent oversight and coordination across the social care sector.

More widely, we have created a £1.5 million Improving Access Fund as part of our Disability Equality Plan to break down barriers and improve access to services and support.

We have also taken action to improve mental health support and services with record numbers of staff, providing more varied mental health support and services to a larger number of people than ever before. This includes investment of £84 million in our Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults since 2021. The Fund addresses a number of mental health and wellbeing concerns, focusing on at risk groups and making sure that a variety of supports are available in local communities across Scotland. In Year 4 alone, 549 projects provided support to disabled people or people with a long-term condition.

For adults with intellectual disabilities, the Scottish Government is providing £2 million a year to NHS Boards to deliver Learning Disability Annual Health Checks to help address the poorer health outcomes experienced by this group. In 2023-24, nearly four thousand people took up the opportunity to have a health check, enabling onward referrals and providing opportunities for prevention, early intervention, treatment and support. This Evidence Review will be vital in shaping our future actions as we seek to deliver against our Disability Equality Plan and develop a longer-term strategy to address the systemic barriers faced by disabled people.