Disability and Employment in Scotland: A Review of the Evidence Base

CHAPTER THREE: DISABILITY AND EMPLOYMENT IN SCOTLAND: A REVIEW OF THE DATA

INTRODUCTION

3.1 Drawing on 2001 Census data and other large data sets, this chapter considers the extent to which disabled people have been included in the labour market in Scotland and the UK as a whole. It looks at the prevalence and distribution of disabled people in Scotland, economic activity and employment amongst people with and without limiting long-term illness (LLTI) in Scotland, potential barriers to labour market participation, benefit receipt among disabled people in Scotland and the housing circumstances of disabled people.

DEFINITIONS OF DISABILITY

3.2 A number of surveys have measured the level of economic activity in Scotland and the UK as a whole, and disabled people have been found to have lower levels of economic activity than people who are not disabled. However, establishing a clear picture of the position of disabled people in the labour market is complicated by the fact that the proportion of the population that is defined as disabled varies according to the definition used. For example the Labour Force Survey asks questions to identify whether people have a current disability covered by the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act, or a work-limiting disability, or both. The number of people falling into each of these categories in autumn 2001 is shown below:

Figure 3.1: People of working age by different definitions of disability: United Kingdom, autumn 2001, not seasonally adjusted

Fig 3.1

(Source: Labour Force Survey reported in Labour Market Trends, August 2002)

3.3 Other surveys word their questions differently resulting in a single category of disability often encompassing both disability and long-term illness, for example, question 8 of the 2001 Census asked: Do you have a long-term illness, health problem or disability which limits your daily activities or the work you can do? Data derived from the 2001 Census showed that 15.5% of working aged people in Scotland had a long-term illness, health problem or disability (LLTI); the equivalent figure derived from the LFS showed that 20% of people aged 16 to retirement age had a disability. The wording of the questions is not the only difference between the Census and the LFS. The Census is completed by the head of household on behalf of other household members, or by individuals themselves, whereas the LFS uses interviewers who are able to clarify definitions and deal with questions as required. The Census data relate to one point in time, whereas the LFS covers a period of time. Finally, every household is required to return a completed Census form, i.e. the whole population, while LFS uses a sample (for a detailed discussion of the differences between surveys see Social Focus on Disability, Scottish Executive, 2004d).

3.4 For the purpose of this review it was decided to focus primarily on data derived from the 2001 Census and most of the data quoted in the remainder of this chapter relate to people of working age with or without a range of conditions covered by this definition of disability or long-term illness (LLTI). While the Labour Force Survey is normally the preferred source for labour market data, the Census was the preferred source for this study due to the improved accessibility of the Census data, the method of collection, i.e. the size of the sample, and the range of variables included.

3.5 Prior to looking at the association between LLTI and employment it is important to note the difference between 'disability' and general health. Illness may cause people to be disabled for a limited period of time, permanently, or intermittently in the case of conditions that have periods of remission. Some conditions are progressive whereas in other instances the impact of a specific condition may be relatively stable. Under the Disability Discrimination Act people with conditions such as multiple sclerosis are defined as disabled whether or not they are in remission. However, not all people defined as disabled have any health problems. Table 3.1 shows the proportion of people aged 16-59/64 with and without LLTI whose health was good or fairly good, or not good. It can be seen that the health of approximately four out of ten of those aged 16-34, and half of those aged 35+ with LLTI was not good, compared to a tiny minority of people without LLTI. It is important to note here, however, that 50% of people with LLTI thought they had good or fairly good health. This is at variance with a common misapprehension that disability and illness are synonymous.

Table 3.1: LLTI and age group by general health (percentage of people with and without LLTI whose health is good or fairly good in each age group)

Age group	Good or fairly good		Not good
	No LLTI	LLTI	No LLTI	LLTI
Total	98.3%	49.6%	1.7%	50.4%
16-34	98.7%	59.1%	1.3%	40.9%
35-49	98.0%	47.4%	2.0%	52.6%
50-59	97.9%	45.9%	2.1%	54.2%
60-64	98.1%	50.7%	1.9%	49.3%

Source: 2001 Census

THE PREVALENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF DISABLED PEOPLE IN SCOTLAND

Table 3.2 shows the number and proportion of people aged 16-74 with a LLTI in the UK:

Table 3.2: Prevalence of people with LLTI (aged 16-74) in Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales (frequency and percentage)

a) Prevalence of people without LLTI

	Total		No LLTI
	Number	%	Number	%
UK	42,525,596	100.0	34,957,188	82.2
Scotland	3,731,079	100.0	2,984,831	80.0
Northern Ireland	1,187,079	100.0	934,306	78.7
England & Wales	37,607,438	100.0	31,038,051	82.5

b) Prevalence of people with LLTI

	Total		LLTI
	Number	%	Number	%
UK	42,525,596	100.0	7,568,408	17.8
Scotland	3,731,079	100.0	746,248	20.0
Northern Ireland	1,187,079	100.0	252,773	21.3
England & Wales	37,607,438	100.0	6,569,387	17.5

Source: Census 2001

3.6 It can be seen that a higher proportion of people in this age group in Scotland and Northern Ireland have a LLTI compared to England and Wales. However, it should be borne in mind that there are marked differences within countries, and that differences in population size can mean that disparities are masked, for example, while data indicate that a higher proportion of people are affected by LLTI in Wales than England, the size of the population in England allows the combined figure to be below the figure for the UK as a whole.

3.7 In 2001, 3,147,964 people in Scotland were of working age (16-64 for males, 16-59 for females). Of these 489,553 (15.5%) had a long-term limiting illness. This figure is lower than that derived from the LFS which reported that 20% of Scottish people aged 16 to retirement age were disabled. Irrespective of definition used, the proportion of the population classified as disabled varies between areas within Scotland as well as between Scotland and other countries, for example inspection of figure 3.2 reveals that Glasgow City has the highest proportion of people of working age with LLTI (26.7%), closely followed by North Lanarkshire (24.4%), and West Dunbartonshire (23.0%) in 2001.

Figure 3.2: Proportion of population with LLTI by Local Authority (percentage)

fig 3.2

Source: 2001 Census

3.8 There is little difference in the overall proportion of males (16.5%) and females (14.6%) with a limiting long-term illness (see table 3.3). However, the proportion of the population with LLTI increases with age.

Table 3.3: LLTI by gender and age group (percentage of males and females with and without LLTI in each age group)

Age group	Male		Female
	No LLTI	LLTI	No LLTI	LLTI
Total	83.5	16.5	85.4	14.6
16-34	91.9	8.2	92.2	7.8
35-49	85.8	14.2	85.2	14.9
50-59	73.6	26.4	72.4	27.6
60-64	57.1	42.9	-	-

Source 2001 Census

3.9 It can be seen from Table 3.4 that there is some variation in the incidence of LLTI amongst different ethnic groups. Much of this variation may reflect the younger age profile of certain groups (Scottish Executive 2004e).

Table 3.4: LLTI by ethnic group (frequency and percentage)

a) People without LLTI

Ethnic group	All people of working age		No LLTI
	Total	% total pop	Total in group	% of ethnic group
Total	3,147,964	100.0	2,658,411	84.45
White Scottish	2,723,333	86.5	2,285,357	83.92
Other White British	267,172	8.5	234,679	87.84
White Irish	33,523	1.1	28,099	83.82
Other White	56,810	1.8	51,388	90.46
Indian	10,598	0.3	9,408	88.77
Pakistani	19,864	0.6	16,399	82.56
Bangladeshi	1,294	0.0	1,131	87.40
Other South Asian	4,132	0.1	3,580	86.64
Chinese	11,838	0.4	10,957	92.56
Caribbean	1,311	0.0	1,148	87.57
African	3,783	0.1	3,486	92.15
Black Scottish or Other Black	672	0.0	559	83.18
Any Mixed Background	6,405	0.2	5,531	86.35
Other Ethnic Group	7,229	0.2	6,689	92.53

b) People with LLTI

Ethnic group	All people of working age		LLTI
	Total	% total pop	Total in group	% of ethnic group
Total	3,147,964	100.0	489,553	15.55
White Scottish	2,723,333	86.5	437,976	16.08
Other White British	267,172	8.5	32,493	12.16
White Irish	33,523	1.1	5,424	16.18
Other White	56,810	1.8	5,422	9.54
Indian	10,598	0.3	1,190	11.23
Pakistani	19,864	0.6	3,465	17.44
Bangladeshi	1,294	0.0	163	12.60
Other South Asian	4,132	0.1	552	13.36
Chinese	11,838	0.4	881	7.44
Caribbean	1,311	0.0	163	12.43
African	3,783	0.1	297	7.85
Black Scottish or Other Black	672	0.0	113	16.82
Any Mixed Background	6,405	0.2	874	13.65
Other Ethnic Group	7,229	0.2	540	7.47

Source 2001 Census

3.10 In 2001 129,894 people of working age with LLTI lived in households that also included one or more dependent children. Overall 28,963 people of working age with LLTI were lone parents living with one or more dependent children. Two-thirds of people with LLTI living with dependent children are not in employment (2001 Census).

ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AMONGST PEOPLE WITH AND WITHOUT LLTI IN SCOTLAND

3.11 As reported earlier, different surveys produce slightly different figures and these differences also affect data relating to economic activity. Table 3.5 presents data on the economic activity of people in Scotland:

Table 3.5: Economic activity ⁷ of Scottish disabled and non-disabled people of working age (percentage)

		Census 2001	Labour Force Survey (Spring 2001-Winter 2002)
Economically active	Disabled	30.9	43.7
Economically active	Non disabled	83.2	87.5
In employment	Disabled	26.7	40.0
In employment	Non disabled	77.9	81.5
ILO unemployed	Disabled	13.7	10.7
ILO unemployed	Non disabled	6.4	6.3
Economically inactive	Disabled	69.1	56.2
Economically inactive	Non disabled	16.8	13.1

Source: 2001 Census and Labour Force Survey Spring 2001-Winter 2002

3.12 It can be seen from the table above that the 2001 Census data revealed marked differences in the level of economic activity between people with no LLTI and those with LLTI. Inspection of the above table shows that 83.2% of people of working age without LLTI were economically active compared with 30.9% of those with LLTI. There are a number of possible explanations for this. It is possible that, as a result of encountering barriers to employment, disabled people become increasingly discouraged and detached from the labour market over time. It is also possible that impairments become severe over time, perhaps exacerbated by deepening poverty and its consequences.

3.13 The Census data reveals that a slightly higher proportion of males with LLTI were economically active (33.3%) in 2001 than females (28.0%) but there is no evidence of an interaction between gender and LLTI as female activity rates are lower than males in all age groups irrespective of disability status. Figure 3.3 presents data on the impact of age on economic activity. It can be seen that economic activity is highest amongst people with LLTI in the younger age group (16-34) and declines thereafter, whereas for people with no LLTI economic activity is highest amongst those aged 35-49.

Figure 3.3: Economic activity by LLTI and age group (percentage of people of working age)

fig 33

Source: 2001 Census

3.14 While economic activity rates are of interest, they may mask issues of underemployment and in fact unemployment. Table 3.6 presents data relating to economic activity broken down by nature of activity or inactivity. Inspection of the table reveals that although the economic activity rate for all people in Scotland was 75.1%, only just over two-thirds (66.8%) of all people of working age were employed, 26.0% of those with LLTI and 74.4% of those without LLTI.

3.15 Inspection of Table 3.6 reveals that the bulk of employed people were employees. A slightly higher proportion of people with LLTI were self-employed, 15.8% of males and 7.2% of females compared to 13.1% of males and 5.5% of females without LLTI (Census 2001). This small difference was mostly accounted for by the proportion of people who were self-employed without employees. Unemployment was higher amongst people with LLTI and the proportion of full-time students was slightly lower.

Table 3.6: Economic activity by gender and LLTI (percentage of Scottish people with and without LLTI)

a) Economic activity by LLTI

	Total	No LLTI	LLTI
ALL PEOPLE	3,147,964	2,658,411	489,553
Economically Active:	75.1%	83.2%	30.9%
Employed	66.8%	74.4%	26.0%
Part -time	13.7%	15.0%	7.0%
Full - time	53.1%	59.4%	19.0%
Unemployed	6.2%	5.7%	13.0%
Full-time student	3.6%	4.1%	0.9%
Economically Inactive:	24.9%	16.8%	69.1%
Retired	2.1%	1.6%	4.7%
Student	5.1%	5.6%	2.2%
Looking after home /Family	6.2%	6.1%	7.0%
Permanently sick or Disabled	7.6%	0.4%	46.2%
Other	4.0%	3.1%	8.9%
Total	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%

b) Economic activity by gender and LLTI

	Total	Male No LLTI	Male LLTI	Female No LLTI	Female LLTI
ALL PEOPLE	3,147,964	1,343,715	265,169	1,314,696	224,384
Economically Active:	75.1%	88.5%	33.3%	77.8%	28.0%
Employed	66.8%	78.9%	27.4%	69.7%	24.3%
Part -time	13.7%	4.3%	3.5%	25.9%	11.1%
Full - time	53.1%	74.6%	23.8%	43.8%	13.2%
Unemployed	6.2%	6.9%	15.5%	4.3%	9.6%
Full-time student	3.6%	3.4%	0.8%	4.7%	1.0%
Economically Inactive:	24.9%	11.5%	66.7%	22.2%	72.0%
Retired	2.1%	2.1%	6.3%	1.1%	2.9%
Student	5.1%	5.3%	2.1%	5.8%	2.3%
Looking after home/Family	6.2%	0.9%	1.8%	11.4%	13.2%
Permanently sick Or Disabled	7.6%	0.4%	48.1%	0.4%	44.0%
Other	4.0%	2.7%	8.5%	3.4%	9.5%
Total	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%

Source: 2001 Census

3.16 As mentioned above, a slightly higher proportion of males with LLTI were economically active (33.3%) than females (28.0%). However, if we look at the 'patterns' of economic activity between males and females with and without LLTI, it can be seen that while levels of economic activity were lower amongst both males and females with LLTI (right hand bars), gender differences in economic activity followed a similar pattern for both groups, with a higher proportion of females working part-time amongst people with and without LLTI. A higher proportion of males than females were unemployed. The gender difference in employment rates was less marked for people with LLTI than those without LLTI (only 3.1% more males than females with LLTI were in employment, whereas 9.2% more males than females without LLTI were in employment). However, the pattern becomes more complicated when differences in part-time and full-time working are brought into the equation. Overall a slightly higher proportion of people with LLTI who were in employment worked part-time (27%) compared to those without LLTI (20%). It is possible that it is easier to sustain part-time working which may be more acceptable to females who have traditionally worked part-time in order to accommodate family commitments.

3.17 Table 3.7 presents data relating to social grade, age, and gender. It can be seen from the table that a higher proportion of people with LLTI were in receipt of benefit/unemployed, and that, of those who were in employment, a higher proportion of people with LLTI were employed in semi-skilled and unskilled manual occupations. Only a small proportion of people reached higher managerial and professional occupations irrespective of whether or not they had LLTI. The proportion of people reaching middle management occupations increased with age for both males and females, irrespective of disability status. However, the proportion of people with LLTI reaching middle management was less than half that of those without LLTI. The difference between people with and without LLTI narrows for manual and unskilled work, and it can be seen that a similar proportion of males with and without LLTI are employed in semi-skilled and unskilled occupations. However, a higher proportion of those with LLTI drop out of employment with increasing age. The proportion of females in semi-skilled or unskilled employment leaving the labour market was lower than for males, although a higher proportion of females than males with LLTI were on benefit/unemployed in all age groups.

Table 3.7: LLTI and approximated social grade by age group and gender (percentage of age group and gender category)

a) Males

Approximated social grade	LLTI Status	Male
		16-34	35-49	50-59	60-64
Total	No LLTI	572,737	468,140	231,667	71,171
	LLTI	50,824	77,579	83,286	53,480
Professional	No LLTI	0.7	2.0	1.8	1.0
	LLTI	0.2	0.4	03	0.2
Middle manager	No LLTI	14.3	25.5	24.6	22.7
	LLTI	6.1	10.4	11.7	11.2
Other non-manual	No LLTI	26.2	25.9	25.3	22.0
	LLTI	16.9	16.0	14.3	11.7
Skilled manual	No LLTI	22.4	24.6	23.8	22.0
	LLTI	15.4	17.6	17.3	17.0
Semi-skilled/ unskilled	No LLTI	24.6	18.2	20.2	21.7
	LLTI	22.7	17.0	15.1	13.0
On benefit/ Unemployed	No LLTI	11.8	3.9	4.3	10.6
	LLTI	38.8	38.7	41.4	47.0

b) Females

Approximated social grade	LLTI status	Female
		16-34	35-49	50-59
Total	No LLTI	592,388	487,555	234,753
	LLTI	49,925	85,059	89,400
Professional	No LLTI	0.4	0.6	0.4
	LLTI	0.1	0.1	0.1
Middle manager	No LLTI	11.6	18.0	14.5
	LLTI	5.9	9.4	9.2
Other non-manual	No LLTI	36.1	38.9	37.1
	LLTI	20.8	18.5	16.0
Skilled manual	No LLTI	5.2	5.9	5.1
	LLTI	3.5	3.5	2.9
Semi-skilled/ unskilled	No LLTI	30.2	27.1	30.4
	LLTI	26.6	22.7	22.0
On benefit/ Unemployed	No LLTI	16.4	10.0	12.5
	LLTI	43.0	45.7	49.8

Source: 2001 Census

3.18 Just over one in five people (20.4%) with LLTI in the 16-34 year old age group had never worked or were long-term unemployed; this figure fell to 11.4% of those in the 35-49 age group, and 5.6% amongst those aged 50 years to retirement (2001 Census).

POTENTIAL BARRIERS TO LABOUR MARKET PARTICIPATION

3.19 The government believes that people who are able to work should be provided with support to enable them to do so. However, there are a number of factors that may make accessing suitable employment difficult, including level of general health, education/qualifications, location, and accessible transport.

Health

3.20 As mentioned earlier in this chapter having a LLTI does not necessarily mean that people believe that their general health is poor. It can be seen from Figure 3.4 below that less than half of all people of working age with a LLTI defined their general health as 'Not good' (46.5%), more than one-third defined their general health as 'Fairly good', and one in six defined it as 'Good'. Nevertheless, a markedly higher proportion of people with LLTI had health which was less than 'Good' compared to people without a LLTI. It is possible that poor general health has a greater impact on ability to work than LLTI on its own. However, further analysis would be required to clarify this.

Figure 3.4: General health by LLTI (percentage of people in Scotland of working age)

fig 3.4

Source 2001 Census

Qualifications

3.21 Table 3.8 shows the level of qualifications ⁸ held by people of working age with and without LLTI in 2001. It can be seen that more than half of all people with LLTI had no qualifications. Given the expansion of education in recent years and the push for qualifications it might be expected that the bulk of younger people aged 16-34 years would have some form of qualifications. However, the proportion of people with no qualifications was considerably higher amongst people with LLTI. Given that more than half of all people with LLTI had no qualifications it was unsurprising that they were over-represented amongst people working in semi-skilled or unskilled occupations as was seen in Table 3.7. The proportion of people with LLTI achieving Grade 4, graduate level, was approximately half that of those without LLTI. The relatively low level of educational attainment amongst people with LLTI has significant implications for both the nature of work, and duration of economic activity. Research has indicated that people with LLTI are less likely to be able to continue working in manual and unskilled occupations, as the required tasks may not be amenable to adjustments (Banks and Pearson, 2003).

Table 3.8: Level of education by LLTI, age, and gender (percentage of age group and gender category)

a) Males

Age Group	Disability status	Male
		No quals	Grade 1	Grade 2	Grade 3	Grade 4
Total	No LLTI	315,111	364,205	254,372	118,451	291,576
	LLTI	142,518	53,003	28,121	12,455	29,072
16-34	No LLTI	12.8	34.3	24.8	10.1	18.0
	LLTI	36.5	33.3	15.6	6.7	8.0
35-49	No LLTI	23.5	25.5	16.9	9.1	25.1
	LLTI	47.5	22.4	12.8	5.6	11.8
50-59	No LLTI	41.2	16.7	12.0	6.1	24.1
	LLTI	61.3	14.2	8.4	3.7	12.3
60-64	No LLTI	50.7	14.2	8.3	5.2	21.7
	LLTI	67.5	12.9	6.1	3.1	10.5

b) Females

Age Group	Disability status	Female
		No quals	Grade 1	Grade 2	Grade 3	Grade 4
Total	No LLTI	289,224	375,854	245,244	107,721	296,653
	LLTI	112,308	52,461	22,540	9,958	27,117
16-34	No LLTI	11.0	32.5	25.8	10.4	20.3
	LLTI	30.0	35.9	16.9	7.3	9.8
35-49	No LLTI	24.7	27.7	14.4	7.6	25.7
	LLTI	48.1	23.7	10.1	4.9	13.3
50-59	No LLTI	44.2	20.7	9.5	3.9	21.7
	LLTI	63.1	16.1	6.2	2.4	12.2
60-64	No LLTI	-	-	-	-	-
	LLTI		-	-	-	-

Source: 2001 Census

3.22 Table 3.9 presents data relating to economic activity by level of qualification for people with and without LLTI. It can be seen that the proportion of people in employment rose and unemployment fell with higher levels of qualification irrespective of disability status. However, the advantage of qualifications may be slightly greater for people with LLTI.

Table 3.9: LLTI and economic activity by highest qualification (percentage of people with and without LLTI within qualification grade)

a) People without LLTI

Disability status	No LLTI
	No quals	Grade 1	Grade 2	Grade 3	Grade 4
Total	604,335	740,059	499,616	226,172	588,229
Employed	68.7	76.9	76.7	84.8	87.0
ILO Un-employed	10.0	7.9	5.4	4.7	2.7
Inactive	23.7	16.5	18.9	11.0	10.6

b) people with LLTI

Disability status	LLTI
	No quals	Grade 1	Grade 2	Grade 3	Grade 4
Total	254,826	105,464	50,661	22,413	56,189
Employed	15.9	31.7	39.2	45.8	47.1
ILO Un-employed	16.8	15.8	12.2	11.7	7.3
Inactive	80.9	62.3	55.4	48.1	49.2

Source: 2001 Census

Location

3.23 As shown earlier in this chapter the number and proportion of people with LLTI varies across the country with the highest prevalence being in Glasgow City, North Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire (see figure 3.2). The proportion of people with LLTI who are in employment also varies between Local Authorities with some areas having higher rates of employment amongst disabled people, e.g. Shetland Islands (31.3%) and Aberdeenshire (27.6%), compared to Glasgow City which has the lowest level (11.5%) (See figure 3.5). Some areas with the highest rates of employment amongst people with LLTI are relatively rural areas such as Aberdeenshire (27.6%) and Highland (24.4%). Employment rates in these areas are also higher for people without LLTI.

Figure 3.5: Proportion of people with LLTI in employment by LA (percentage)

fig 35

Source 2001 Census

3.24 Table 3.10, below, presents figures relating to level of economic activity by urban/rural classification ⁹. It can be seen that more than seven out of ten of all working age people with a LLTI in Scotland (72.1%), live in urban areas, one in eight (11.9%) live in small towns, and 15.9% live in rural areas. These figures do not vary markedly from people without LLTI, just over two-thirds (68.3) of whom live in urban areas, one in eight (12.8%) in small towns, and just less than one in five (18.8%) in rural areas.

Table 3.10: Economic activity amongst working age people with LLTI by SHS Urban Rural Classification (frequency)

	Large Urban Areas	Other Urban Areas	Accessible Small Towns	Remote Small Towns	Accessible Rural	Remote Rural
All people with LLTI	209,141 (42.7%)	143,929 (29.4%)	46,783 (9.6%)	11,588 (2.3%)	55,524 (11.3%)	22,588 (4.6%)
Economically Active:	56,105 (26.8%)	45,296 (31.5%)	15,824 (33.8%)	4,025 (34.7%)	20,730 (37.3%)	9,243 (40.9%)
Employed	45,924	37,757	13,596	3,375	18,369	8,091
Part -time	11,946	10,087	3,744	1,088	4,963	2,505
Full - time	33,978	27,670	9,852	2,287	13,406	5,586
Unemployed	8,010	6,337	1,883	565	1,957	1,021
Full-time student	2,171	1,202	345	85	404	131
Economically Inactive:	153,036	98,633	30,959	7,563	34,794	13,345
Retired	8,470	7,156	2,406	570	3,128	1,440
Student	5,285	2,790	855	198	1,198	375
Looking after home/ family	14,779	10,007	3,350	767	3,934	1,538
Permanently sick/Disabled	102,986	66,677	20,756	5,025	22,436	8,449
Other	21,516	12,003	3,592	1,003	4,098	1,543

Source: SHS 2001/2

3.25 Inspection of the above table reveals that although the majority of people with LLTI in Scotland live in urban areas, economic activity rates for this group are higher in more rural areas. Just over a quarter of people with LLTI living in large urban areas are economically active compared with a third in small towns and four out of ten in remote rural areas. People without LLTI are also more likely to be economically active in rural than in urban areas.

Figure 3.6: Method of travel to work by LLTI (percentage of people in employment)

fig 3.6

Transport

Source 2001 Census

3.26 Transport can be a considerable problem for disabled people and also people living in rural areas where public transport can be limited and fuel expensive. Figure 3.6 shows that there is little difference in the modes of transport used by people with and without LLTI.

3.27 It can be seen from the above chart that more than half of all people, irrespective of disability status, drove to work, between ten and fifteen percent took a bus or walked, and just under ten percent got a lift. A slightly higher proportion of people with LLTI worked at home. There was little difference in the distance travelled to work between people with and without LLTI (2001 Census).

BENEFIT RECEIPT AMONG DISABLED PEOPLE

3.28 There are no questions on income in the Census so information relating to income in Scotland is difficult to access. Data presented in this section are derived from Benefits and Tax Credits in Scotland: Report for August 2003 (Scottish Executive, 2004).

3.29 In August 2003 554,000 people of working age in Scotland were claiming one or more key disability related benefits:

185,200 were in receipt of Incapacity Benefit (6% of the total working age population);
281,200 were in receipt of Disability Living allowance (9% of the total working age population);
133,800 received Attendance Allowance;
36,400 received Severe Disablement Allowance;
40,600 received Carers Allowance.

3.30 There have been a number of changes over recent years, for example the number of people receiving Disability Living Allowance has increased by almost a quarter over the past four years. The number of people claiming Incapacity Benefit has remained fairly constant. 11% of the total population of Scotland are in receipt of state benefits due to illness or disability, but recipients of state benefits are not equally distributed across the country. Figure 3.7 shows the percentage of people in receipt of benefit due to illness or disability by Local Authority. Inspection of the chart reveals that Glasgow City has the highest proportion of people in receipt of disability related benefits, followed by Inverclyde, and North Lanarkshire.

Figure 3.7: People of working age in receipt of incapacity benefits by Local Authority (percentage)

fig 3.7

Source: DWP 2003

3.31 Applying for DLA involves completing a lengthy form detailing difficulties that the applicant experiences. Thus, rather than being based on medical diagnosis or specific categories, eligibility is based on the effects of a person's disability. DLA is non-contributory, non-income assessed, and non-taxable, and can be claimed by people in employment. Thus anyone of working age can apply for DLA, and it is a 'passport' to other benefits. DLA is payable to people who have personal care needs, mobility needs, or both. It consists of two components:

A care component, which may be paid at one of three rates
A mobility component, which may be paid at one of two rates.

3.32 In Scotland in August 2003 a total of 281,200 people were receiving DLA, a higher proportion of the population (6%) than in the UK as a whole (4%). There were a total of 28,900 awards made in the year up to August 2003. The proportion of the population in receipt of DLA varied between LAs, for example 8% of the population in Glasgow City received DLA compared to 3% in Moray. The number of people in receipt of DLA increases with age (see Table 3.11). Although DLA must be applied for prior to the age of 65, individuals who have been awarded DLA prior to the age of 65 continue to receive it.

Table 3.11: Allowances and Awards of DLA by Age and Sex: Scotland, August 2003

Ages	Allowances			Awards
	Total	Men	Women	Total	Men	Women
All ages	281,200	137,100	144,100	28,900	14,500	14,400
<25	35,400	22,100	13,300	5,200	3,200	2,000
25-49	75,600	35,900	39,700	10,500	4,700	5,800
50-59	61,000	27,800	33,200	8,200	3,700	4,400
60-64	39,100	18,600	20,500	4,500	2,700	1,800
65+	70,100	32,700	37,400	600	200	200

Source: Department of Work and Pensions, IAD Information Centre, August 2003

3.33 Table 3.12 shows the main conditions which affected recipients who were awarded DLA in Scotland in the year to August 2003. It can be seen from the chart that mental health problems accounted for almost a quarter (23.5%) of all awards. The majority of awards for all conditions with the exception of back ailments included both care and mobility components.

Table 3.12: ¹⁰Awards of DLA by Disability: Scotland, year to August 2003

	All awards	Care component only	Mobility component only	Care and mobility components
All conditions	28,900	6,200	5,300	17,400
Mental health causes other than learning disabilities	6,800	1,100	1,200	4,600
Arthritis	3,200	700	900	1,600
Malignant disease	3,100	300	100	2,700
Back ailments	2,200	600	600	100
Heart disease	1,800	200	700	900
Muscle/bone/joint disease	1,800	500	400	800
Learning Difficulties	1,500	500	100	900
Other	8,500	2,300	1,300	500

Source: Department of Work and Pensions, IAD Information Centre, August 2003

HOUSING

3.34 Access to suitable housing is of vital importance to everyone, however, it is particularly important for people with LLTI to access housing that enables them to retain their independence including participation in the labour market. Unfortunately data relating to the suitability of housing is not available, nevertheless it is of interest to look at the levels of home ownership amongst disabled people. It can be seen from Table 3.13 that a lower proportion of people with LLTI own their own homes, and that a higher proportion live in social rented accommodation. This may be associated with eligibility for housing benefit, which is payable to those in rented accommodation. However, this may create a poverty trap, preventing people from buying their own property.

Table 3.13: LLTI and age group by tenure (percentage of people with and without LLTI who own or rent their homes)

Age Group	Owned		Social rented		Private rented or living free
	No LLTI	LLTI	No LLTI	LLTI	No LLTI	LLTI
Total	72.0%	49.3%	18.3%	40.7%	9.7%	10.0%
16-34	63.7%	39.9%	21.5%	44.1%	14.8%	16.0%
35-49	76.9%	46.1%	16.7%	43.6%	6.4%	10.3%
50-59	81.2%	54.6%	14.0%	38.1%	4.7%	7.3%
60-64	79.4%	58.8%	15.1%	34.4%	5.5%	6.8%

Source 2001 Census

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

The prevalence and distribution of disabled people in Scotland

Scotland has a higher rate of people with LLTI than England and Wales: in 2001 489,553 working age people in Scotland (15.5% of the total working age population) had a long-term limiting illness.
The prevalence of disability varies across Scotland: Glasgow City, North Lanarkshire, and West Dunbartonshire have the highest proportions of people of working age with LLTI in Scotland.

Economic activity amongst people with LLTI in Scotland

People with LLTI are far less likely to be economically active and far less likely to be employed: in 2001 83.2% of people of working age without LLTI were economically active compared with just 30.9% of those with LLTI; a quarter of those with LLTI were employed compared with three-quarters of those without LLTI.
Economic activity is highest amongst people with LLTI in the younger age group (16-34) and declines thereafter, whereas for people with no LLTI economic activity is highest amongst those aged 35-49.
People with LLTI are more likely to be unemployed and slightly less likely to be full-time students.
Two-thirds of people with LLTI living with dependent children are not in employment.
People with LLTI who are employed are slightly more likely to work part-time.
A slightly higher proportion of people with LLTI are self-employed.
A higher proportion of people with LLTI are employed in semi-skilled and unskilled manual occupations and people with LLTI are less likely to reach middle management.

Potential barriers to labour market participation

A markedly higher proportion of people with LLTI describe their health as 'not good' but surprisingly a third of people with LLTI define their health as 'fairly good' and one in six as 'good'.
More than half of all people with LLTI have no qualifications.
The proportion of people with LLTI achieving Grade 4, graduate level, is approximately half that of those without LLTI.

Benefit receipt and housing amongst disabled people in Scotland

11% of the total population in Scotland were in receipt of state benefits due to illness or disability in 2003 (Glasgow City, Inverclyde and North Lanarkshire had the highest rates of benefit receipt).
The number of people claiming Disability Living Allowance has increased by a quarter over the last 4 years.
People with mental health problems account for almost a quarter of all Disability Living Allowance awards.
People with LLTI are less likely to own their own homes and more likely to live in social rented accommodation.

CONCLUSIONS

3.35 This chapter drew attention to the findings of the main social surveys with regard to the proportion of disabled people in Scotland and their attachment to the labour market. Among the most important findings of this chapter are:

The prevalence of disability is high in Scotland and particularly high in certain areas. The geographical distribution of disability requires further exploration.
The fact that economic activity is highest among people with LLTI in the younger age group but declines thereafter suggests that more needs to be done to prevent people with LLTI leaving the labour market.
Although people with LLTI have worse health than the non-disabled population, the fact that 50% of people with LLTI report good or fairly good health suggests that individual health problems are not the only cause of economic inactivity for people with LLTI. More work needs to be done to identify the characteristics if those people with LLTI who report good or fairly good health and to identify other possible causes of economic activity for disabled people.
A high proportion (two thirds) of people with LLTI living with disabled children are not in employment. This finding suggests the need for more research which focuses on the link between disability, employment and child poverty.
Level of education appears to be strongly associated with LLTI and engagement in economic activity. There are a number of possible explanations for the fact that half of people with LLTI have no qualifications. First, some disabled people may have great difficulty in obtaining qualifications because of cognitive or other impairments. Secondly, those who leave school with no qualification, perhaps as a result of social disadvantage, may subsequently be labelled disabled. Finally, the education system, particularly in the past, may have been inaccessible to many disabled people. More research needs to be carried out to identify the causes since low levels of education have such a negative impact on employment outcomes: the evidence shows that a lower proportion of disabled people work in professional and managerial occupations and a higher proportion are unemployed or engaged in unskilled or semi skilled employment and this is clearly related to level of qualification. It would be useful to carry out research on disabled people who have successfully sustained employment in higher skilled, higher paid employment.
Finally, the consequences of economic inactivity are evident from this chapter. The fact that a high number of disabled people are dependent on state benefit and are more likely to live in social rented accommodation means that they are more likely to live in poverty. There is little information available on the incomes of disabled people in Scotland and more research which focused on this area and the adequacy of benefits would be useful.

3.36 Chapter 4 considers the extent to which a distinctive Scottish policy on disability and employment has emerged, and whether its concerns reflect wider GB themes and preoccupations.

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