Cost of living: Disabled students 'can't scrimp on food'

Cardiff student Alice Moore says she should not have to "scrimp" due to her disability

By Erin Sharrocks

BBC News

Most people are affected by the cost of living crisis, but for those like Alice Moore, it is even more of an issue.

The 21-year-old Cardiff University student has cystic fibrosis, meaning she cannot easily cut her spending on food for health reasons.

She must buy specific products not often available in more affordable supermarkets, which has become harder since prices have soared.

"I do financially worry anyway," she said.

"It's annoying that it's not a choice I can make to scrimp on things because of my disability.

"I have to dip into my own money [to cover it]," she said. "It shouldn't be that way, and I have to scrimp and save on other things now because I need to afford food."

Disabled Students UK, the biggest disabled student-led organisation in the country, said the lack of support for students like her is "really disappointing".

The Welsh government has said it is committed to supporting disabled students through the cost of living crisis, but the National Union of Students (NUS) Wales believed more could be done to "ensure a level playing field".

'It's a big stress'

Another disabled student, Hannah Stansfield, 25, said: "I can't eat a lot of foods because of sensory overload. I can't just go and find a cheaper version.

"It's a big stress right now."

The Cardiff Metropolitan student has autism and said she must often buy "really expensive" brands as they are the only things she can eat.

Both students receive personal independence payments (PIP), a government benefit that helps disabled people with living costs.

The two components to PIP are daily living and mobility. In April, the maximum daily living component rose from £92.40 to £101.75 a week, while the maximum mobility component rose from £64.50 to £71.

But Amelia McLoughlan of Disabled Students UK said this "certainly" does not reflect inflation.

"It's a £30 increase, the PIP uplift as they're calling it - it isn't much of an uplift," she said.

She said many disabled students cannot cut spending in areas where other students might, so PIP "doesn't cover the potential extra cost [of being disabled]."

Alice mainly spends her PIP on food, but said the remainder goes on travel to hospital appointments.

"Where PIP payment hasn't been increased to reflect inflation, I do find myself having to dip into my own money to pay for things," she said.

Another form of financial help available to disabled students is the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA), which is intended to cover study-related costs like specialist equipment. This academic year, students can receive up to £26,291 a year for support.

But in 2022, a report by Lord Holmes of Richmond showed just 29% of students in England and Wales with a known disability are receiving DSA, with some students reporting a "time-consuming" and "overly-bureaucratic" process.

Cardiff Metropolitan student Jasmine Treharne, 20, who said it takes a "minimum of six weeks" for her to be refunded for any purchases, which can be inconvenient.

Helen Saelensminde, chief executive of the Snowdon Trust - a charity that provides disabled students with grants and scholarships - agreed that there are issues with the allowance.

"For some disabled students, their costs go way beyond the limits of DSA," she said.

Jasmine Treharne worries that taking on any extra responsibilities to earn money would cause her studies to suffer

The option to supplement loans and grants with income from part-time work is not open to many disabled students.

Having been diagnosed with dyslexia at university, Jasmine previously struggled with time management and organisation. She worries that extra responsibilities could lead to her failing.

"Right now, with the help I'm getting, I'm quite okay with the study, but I feel like if I get a part-time job, I'm not going to have enough time to focus on my studies," she said.

"It's quite a struggle. I have to ask to borrow money from people and I go overdrawn in my bank."

'Hard to quantify'

Disability charity Scope reported earlier this year that disabled households face an additional £1,122 a month on average to have the same standard of living as non-disabled households.

Ms McLoughlan said this meant the cost of living crisis was having a "serious" affect on disabled students.

"It's hard to quantify because different campuses are going to have specific issues," she said.

She added that if nothing changes, it would be "survival of the fittest, and that's really worrying".

The National Union of Students (NUS) Wales said disabled students were among those "hit hardest by cruel cuts to services".

The Welsh government said it was investing £17.7m to enable further education providers to support students with additional learning needs.

"We are committed to supporting all disabled students through the cost of living crisis, so they can continue to access the education they need to develop the skills required to reach their full potential."

The UK government has been asked to comment.