Activity Alliance responds to the 2024 Autumn Budget

In response to the Budget, Adam Blaze, Chief Executive at Activity Alliance, said: 

“Six months ago we released our manifesto, calling upon the new government to put inclusion at its heart. We showed our concern against the previous government’s plan to modify the work capability assessment and cuts to benefits. Today, we heard this will continue and we are extremely worried that disabled people will be the most punished in the move to cut public spending. We will support any consultations and submissions needed around this but urge government to invest in the infrastructure to make society a better place to live and work.

“With today’s news around ‘working people’, we want to also remind leaders in sports and leisure to take inclusive employment, notably disabled people’s employment, seriously. In 2023, disabled people were almost twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people. This ratio is similar to 2014. This employment gap is not fair or right in 2024.

“In our most recent Activity and Disability Annual Survey, disabled people were less than half as likely to ‘see people like them’ working, and volunteering in sport and physical activity. This is not good enough when we remind ourselves that disabled people are also twice as likely to be inactive as non-disabled people.

“Benefits play a huge part in breaking down barriers in sport and activity. The Activity Trap research shows that almost half of disabled people fear losing their benefits if they are seen to be physically active. One of the asks in our manifesto is for the benefits system to provide clearer understanding and wider safeguarding to reassure disabled people that being regularly active will not threaten their benefits and other forms of government financial assistance. That includes any proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment, Work Capability Assessment, or other benefits. Disabled people should be able to enjoy the physical and mental wellbeing benefits that sport and physical activity brings.

“What is lost in the conversations around public saving and ‘economic inactivity’ is the contribution that 16 million disabled people in the UK give back to our society. In December, using the HM Treasury endorsed methodology, we will release our social value assessment of disabled people being active, and indeed, the lost value of inactivity. This provides yet more evidence to show that when we make it more difficult for disabled people to be an active part of our communities, it negatively impacts society and public spending”.