Facts & Figures

Disabled people represent a significant part of our community in Hammersmith & Fulham, across West London, Greater London, and throughout the UK. These figures highlight the scale of challenges — but also show where systemic change is needed.

Disability Prevalence

  • Hammersmith & Fulham: 12.5% of residents report a disability under the Equality Act (Census 2021).
  • West London: Disability prevalence varies by neighbourhood and is strongly linked to deprivation. The most deprived areas of London average 15.5%, compared with 11.7% in the least deprived. Some neighbourhoods in Kensington & Chelsea, such as Ladbroke Grove and Portobello, reach nearly 19%.
  • Greater London: Overall prevalence is 13.2%, with boroughs ranging from 10.7% (City of London) to 16.2% (Islington).
  • United Kingdom: Around 16.1 million people are disabled, representing 24% of the population. In England and Wales, 17.5% are disabled under the Equality Act definition (10.4 million people). Of these, 10% are “limited a little” and 7.5% “limited a lot”.
Placeholder image with a gray icon showing two mountains and a sun on a light background with wavy lines.
Percentage of Disabled People (Equality Act definition

Employment

  • Hammersmith & Fulham: Only 25% of Disabled residents are in work — the largest employment gap in London.
  • Greater London: Disability employment gap is 38.5 percentage points.
  • United Kingdom: 53.5% of Disabled people aged 16–64 are in work, compared to 81.6% of non-disabled. Disabled people face double the unemployment (6.5% vs 3.6%) and are more likely to be on zero-hours contracts.
Employmant - Hammersmith & Fulham (illustrative gap)
Employment Rate (UK)

Housing

  • Disabled people are less likely to own their home (42% vs 53% of non-disabled).
  • They are three times more likely to live in social housing (25% vs 8%).
  • 1 in 5 Disabled people in social housing live in unsuitable homes. Only 7% of all UK homes have basic accessibility features.
Housing Tenure - UK
Home ownership
Social housing
Private/other (residual)

Welfare Benefits

  • 4.8 million people across the UK receive PIP or DLA (as of Feb 2025).
  • Disability benefit spending has risen by 45% since 2019–20, now accounting for 1.7% of GDP, projected to rise to 2.1% by 2028–29.
  • 19% of benefit recipients recently used a food bank; 77% struggle to afford essentials.

Sources

  • LBHF Council – Census 2021: General Health & Disability Report
  • H&F Giving – Data Story 2024
  • Trust for London – Supporting Disabled People into Work
  • GOV.UK – Employment of Disabled People 2023
  • ONS – Outcomes for Disabled People in the UK
  • ONS – Disability and Housing UK
  • UK Parliament – Accessible Housing Report
  • DWP – Benefits Statistics February 2025
  • Institute for Fiscal Studies – Health-related Benefit Claims
  • Trussell Trust – Research 2025