Poverty rates are higher amongst those with long-standing health problems (such as a disability) than the rest of the population, according to the CSO.
In 2023, 13% of people who said they were ‘severely limited’ were unable to afford to keep their home adequately warm.
The comparable rate for those who were not limited was 5.5% last year.
The findings are part of the 2023 Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC).
The latest results relate to those aged 16 years and older who were severely limited in usual activities because of a health problem for six months or more in 2023.
Households excluded and marginalised from consuming goods and services due to an inability to afford them are considered to be deprived.
Overall, 15% of households where a person was limited due to a health problem reported at least one occasion in the past 12 months where they failed to pay a utility bill on time due to financial difficulties.
That is compared with 5% of other households.
The ‘at risk of poverty’ rate for people with a self-reported chronic illness was 12%, compared with 8% for those without a chronic illness.
The enforced deprivation rate for people who described their health as very bad was 39%, while the rate for those with very good health was almost four times lower at 11%.
The consistent poverty rate for people severely limited in usual activities because of a health problem was almost four times higher than the rate for those not limited (9% and 2% respectively).
Four in ten (41%) households with a severely limited household member regarded total housing costs as a heavy financial burden compared with 27% of households where no one was limited.
