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

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 to 2025.


Reference List

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20. Scottish Government, 2024, Scotland’s Census 2022 - Health, disability and unpaid care | Scotland's Census

21. Scottish Government, 2024, Scotland’s Census 2022 - Health, disability and unpaid care | Scotland's Census

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48. Trade Union Congress, 2025, Bullying, harassment and discrimination of Disabled people in the workplace | TUC

49. STUC, 2024, Reasonable Adjustment Report 2024.pdf

50. SPICE: Scottish Parliament, 2024, The declining disability employment gap in Scotland:Understanding the reasons behind the increasing number of disabled people in employment

51. Glasgow Disability Alliance, 2022, Glasgow Disability Alliance Workstream Ending Poverty

52. Trade Union Congress, 2024, Disability pay and employment gaps | TUC

53. Glasgow Disability Alliance, 2022, Glasgow Disability Alliance Workstream Ending Poverty; Trade Union Congress, 2024, Disability pay and employment gaps | TUC

54. The Scottish Government has published an analysis of the impact of reduced response rates on Labour Force Survey and Annual Population Survey in Scotland. This is available at: The Scottish Government’s Quality Assessment of the Office for National Statistics Labour Force Survey and Annual Population Survey data for Scotland - gov.scot

55. Details on the activities being taken forward by the Scottish Government are available at: Labour market statistics - gov.scot

56. Details on ONS’s quality assessment of the Labour Force Survey and its activities to improve data quality are available at: Previous releases for Labour Force Survey quality update - Office for National Statistics. Information on plans and developments around the Transformed Labour Force Survey are available at: Previous releases for Labour market transformation – update on progress and plans - Office for National Statistics

57. Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2025, Social Care Charging

58. Congreve, 2024, New awards of disability benefits for adults: Comparing Scotland with England and Wales

59. Glasgow disability alliance, 2024, Ending Poverty and Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled People in Glasgow beyond Covid-19 • Glasgow Disability Alliance

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61. Social Security Scotland, 2025, Adult Disability Payment Official Statistics

62. Social Security Scotland, 2025, Adult Disability Payment Official Statistics

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65. Scottish Health Equity Research Unit, Congreve, 2024, New awards of disability benefits for adults: Comparing Scotland with England and Wales; Scottish Government, 2021, Benefit take up strategy

66. Harris, E., Scottish Government, 2025, Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment: final report - gov.scot

67. Social Security Scotland, 2025, Child-Disability-Payment-to-30-September-2025-publication.pdf

68. Social Security, 2025, Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance Statistics to September 2025 and Carers Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance and Severe Disablement Allowance Statistics May 2025

69. Social Security, 2025, Age and Disability publications

70. Scottish Government, 2025, Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013: statutory guidance - updated 2025 - gov.scot

71. Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, 2024, Post-legislative scrutiny of the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013: Phase 2

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75. Young, 2020, Where is the person in personalisation? Experiences of people with learning disabilities and their families in Glasgow

76. Young, 2020, Where is the person in personalisation? Experiences of people with learning disabilities and their families in Glasgow

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82. Rummery, Lawrence and Russell, 2023, Partnership and Personalisation in Personal Care: Conflicts and Compromises

83. Glasgow Disability Alliance, 2025, Rights Now “Rights Now!”: Disabled People’s experiences of Poverty & Inequality and call to action. Report of Members Survey 2025

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87. Scottish Government, 2025, Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland 2021-24

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91. Pautz & Dempsey, 2022, Full article: Covid-19 and the crisis of food insecurity in the UK

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94. Glasgow Disability Alliance, 2020, Supercharged a Human Catastrophe Inequalities, Participation and Human Rights before, during and beyond COVID19 August 2020

95. Scottish Government, 2020, Scottish household survey 2019: annual report - gov.scot

96. SCOPE, 2025, Disability Price Tag 2025 | Disability charity Scope UK

97. SCOPE, 2024, Disability Price Tag 2024: Living with the extra cost of disability

98. Scottish Government, 2025, Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland 2021-24

99. Harkins, Burke, Walsh, 2023, The impacts of the cost-of-living crisis on disabled people: a case for action

100. Scottish Government, 2023, Labour Market Statistics for Scotland by Disability: January to December 2022

101. Scottish Government, 2025, Equalities tables for Homelessness in Scotland: 2024-2025

102. Scottish Government, 2023, Scottish Surveys Core Questions (SSCQ) 2023: Supplementary Tables

103. Scottish Government, 2025, Housing for Older people and people with disabilities

104. Drill UK, 2020, Match Me – What works

105. McKenzie K, Murray G, Wilson H, Delahunty L, 2019, Homelessness—‘It will crumble men’: The views of staff and service users about facilitating the identification and support of people with an intellectual disability in homeless services. Health Soc Care Community, 27:e514–e521.

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107. ONS, 2021, Coronavirus and the social impacts on disabled people in Great Britain - Office for National Statistics

108. ONS, 2021, Coronavirus and the social impacts on disabled people in Great Britain - Office for National Statistics

109. Glasgow Disability Alliance, 2022, GDA Mental Health Matters Report

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113. Miall, Fergie & Pearce, 2022, Health Inequalities in Scotland: trends in deaths, health and wellbeing, health behaviours, and health services since 2000

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116. Rydzewska et al., 2025, Rates, causes and predictors of all-cause and avoidable mortality in 514 878 adults with and without intellectual disabilities in Scotland: a record linkage national cohort study - PubMed

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120. Drill UK, 2020, Services for Who? The experiences of disabled people with other characteristics when accessing service; Miall, Fergie & Pearce, 2022, Health Inequalities in Scotland: trends in deaths, health and wellbeing, health behaviours, and health services since 2000

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122. Matos et al, 2025, The Integration of Social and Health Sectors in Scotland: An Analysis from the Prism of Different Public Policy Models

123. Matos et al, 2025, The Integration of Social and Health Sectors in Scotland: An Analysis from the Prism of Different Public Policy Models

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Contact

Email: social-justice-analysis@gov.scot

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