Food insecurity and inequalities experienced by disabled people

Food insecurity levels in the UK have reached unprecedented highs over the past few years, first in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic and now continuing through the cost of living crisis.

Disabled people have been particularly exposed to food insecurity, facing stark inequalities when it comes to accessing and affording the food that they need.

A quarter of the population, equating to 16 million people in the UK, including one in 10 children, are disabled - a proportion which has doubled in the last decade.

While improving access to food for disabled people requires a holistic, individualised approach, there are a numerous commonalities disabled people experience that policymakers must address to reduce food insecurity.

This briefing explores some of the common experiences of disabled people faced with food insecurity.