Around 45% of adults over State Pension age in the UK were disabled in 2024 to 2025, compared with 25% across the whole population, on the Department for Work and Pensions Family Resources Survey (DWP, Family Resources Survey, 2024 to 2025, published 2026).
Disability becomes far more common in later life, and that pattern quietly shapes a great deal of later-life and estate planning. As more people live with a long-term physical or mental health condition, questions about care, mental capacity and passing on a home come into view. This piece gathers the current statistics from named official sources, mainly the Office for National Statistics and the Family Resources Survey, and offers some hedged, general reading of what they can and cannot tell you. Every figure is dated and linked to its source, and the survey estimates carry their own caveats.
Key figures at a glance
On the most recent official data, disability affects around 45% of adults over State Pension age and 25% of the whole UK population, while Census 2021 recorded 17.8% of people in England and Wales as disabled under the Equality Act. Each statistic below carries its named source and reference period.
| Measure | Figure | Source & period |
|---|---|---|
| Disabled adults over State Pension age (UK) | About 45% | DWP FRS (2024 to 2025) |
| Disabled people, all ages (UK) | 25% (16.7 million) | DWP FRS (2024 to 2025) |
| Disabled people, all ages (UK), a decade earlier | 20% (12.9 million) | DWP FRS (2014 to 2015) |
| Disabled people, England & Wales | 17.8% (10.4 million) | ONS Census 2021 (21 March 2021) |
| Disabled people, Wales | 21.1% (670,000) | ONS Census 2021 (21 March 2021) |
| Women aged 90+ “limited a lot” (England) | 47.1% | ONS Census 2021 (21 March 2021) |
| Mobility as an impairment among disabled pensioners (UK) | 68% | DWP FRS (2024 to 2025) |
| Healthy life expectancy at birth, women (UK) | 63.6 years | ONS HSLE (2018 to 2020) |
Reference periods as published. Family Resources Survey figures cover Great Britain and the UK for the financial years shown and are rounded as published; Census 2021 figures are for the census date of 21 March 2021 (bulletin released 19 January 2023); health state life expectancy figures cover the UK for 2018 to 2020. All figures subject to change.
Disability among adults over State Pension age
Around 45% of adults over State Pension age in the UK were disabled in 2024 to 2025, roughly double the 25% recorded across the population as a whole (DWP, Family Resources Survey, 2024 to 2025, published 2026). The proportion of disabled pension age adults has stayed within a fairly narrow band over the past decade.
The Family Resources Survey counts someone as disabled where a long-term physical or mental health condition reduces their ability to carry out day-to-day activities, in line with the Equality Act 2010 (DWP, FRS, 2024 to 2025). One caveat matters for older age groups: the survey covers private households, so people living in care homes and similar settings are not captured, which may lead it to understate disability among the oldest adults.
| Group (UK) | Disabled, 2024 to 2025 |
|---|---|
| Adults over State Pension age | About 45% |
| Whole population, all ages | 25% (16.7 million) |
Source: DWP, Family Resources Survey, financial year 2024 to 2025 (published 2026). The survey covers private households and excludes care home residents. Figures subject to change.
How disability rises with age
Disability prevalence climbs steeply in the oldest age groups. On Census 2021, the share of people whose day-to-day activities were “limited a lot” rose from 12.2% of women aged 70 to 74 in England to 47.1% of women aged 90 and over, with a similar pattern for men (ONS, Disability by age, sex and deprivation, Census 2021).
| Age group (England, “limited a lot”) | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| 70 to 74 | 12.2% | 11.4% |
| 90 and over | 47.1% | 38.3% |
Source: ONS, Disability by age, sex and deprivation, England and Wales, Census 2021 (census date 21 March 2021). The “limited a lot” category counts those most affected; a wider group are “limited a little”. In Wales the equivalent figures were higher, at 16.6% of women aged 70 to 74 and 50.6% of women aged 90 and over. Figures subject to change.
The most common impairments in later life
Among disabled pensioners in the UK, mobility was the most reported impairment at 68% in 2024 to 2025, followed by stamina, breathing or fatigue at 45% and dexterity at 34% (DWP, Family Resources Survey, 2024 to 2025). People can report more than one impairment, so the shares do not sum to 100%.
| Impairment type (disabled pensioners, UK) | Share reporting, 2024 to 2025 |
|---|---|
| Mobility | 68% |
| Stamina, breathing or fatigue | 45% |
| Dexterity | 34% |
Source: DWP, Family Resources Survey, financial year 2024 to 2025 (published 2026). Respondents can report multiple impairment types, so percentages overlap. Figures subject to change.
Disability across England and Wales
Census 2021 recorded 17.8% of people in England and Wales, some 10.4 million, as disabled under the Equality Act, down 1.7 percentage points from 19.5% in 2011 (ONS, Disability, England and Wales, Census 2021). Prevalence was higher in Wales, at 21.1%, than in England, at 17.7%.
| Area | Disabled, Census 2021 | Number |
|---|---|---|
| England & Wales | 17.8% | 10.4 million |
| England | 17.7% | 9.8 million |
| Wales | 21.1% | 670,000 |
Source: ONS, Disability, England and Wales, Census 2021 (census date 21 March 2021, bulletin released 19 January 2023). Census 2021 covered England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland ran separate censuses. Figures subject to change.
The trend over time
The two main sources point in different directions, and the reason is measurement. On the Family Resources Survey, disability across all ages rose from 20% (12.9 million) in 2014 to 2015 to 25% (16.7 million) in 2024 to 2025, while the Census 2021 share for England and Wales fell to 17.8% from 19.5% in 2011 (DWP FRS; ONS Census 2021).
| Source & measure | Earlier | Latest |
|---|---|---|
| FRS, all ages disabled (UK) | 20% (2014 to 2015) | 25% (2024 to 2025) |
| FRS, over State Pension age (UK) | 42% to 46% band | About 45% (2024 to 2025) |
| Census, disabled (England & Wales) | 19.5% (2011) | 17.8% (2021) |
Sources: DWP, Family Resources Survey (2014 to 2015 and 2024 to 2025) and ONS, Disability, England and Wales, Census 2021. The two use different questions and coverage, so their levels and trends are not directly comparable. Figures subject to change.
Years lived in poorer health
Healthy life expectancy at birth in the UK was 62.8 years for men and 63.6 years for women in 2018 to 2020, meaning much of later life may be spent in less than good health (ONS, Health state life expectancies, UK, 2018 to 2020). Those later years are often when disability, care needs and capacity questions cluster together.
The same release noted that disability-free life expectancy at age 65 showed no significant change across the UK between 2015 to 2017 and 2018 to 2020 (ONS, Health state life expectancies, UK, 2018 to 2020). Read alongside the prevalence figures, the general picture is of a substantial stretch of later life during which a long-term condition is common rather than unusual.
Disability is not evenly spread across a lifetime. It is concentrated in later years, which is exactly when wills, powers of attorney and care questions tend to arise.
What the numbers mean
Read together, the figures describe disability as a normal feature of later life rather than a rare event: close to half of adults over State Pension age, and nearly one in two women aged 90 and over in England, live with a limiting condition (DWP FRS, 2024 to 2025; ONS Census 2021). These are population statistics, not a prediction for any one person.
Survey figures come with caveats. The Family Resources Survey excludes care home residents and relies on self-report, and Census and survey measures are not directly comparable. With those limits in mind, a few general observations tend to follow, and none of them is a recommendation for any individual:
- Capacity questions grow more likely. As disability becomes more common with age, more people spend time during which a lasting power of attorney could matter. Many people choose to consider one while they still have full mental capacity (gov.uk/power-of-attorney, as at July 2026, subject to change).
- Care needs become more common. Higher rates of mobility and other impairments in later life are where care needs most often arise. Care fees planning, meaning steps that may help limit or mitigate the impact of care costs, is one area some people discuss with a qualified adviser. Local authorities apply deprivation of assets rules, and deliberately giving away assets to reduce a care assessment can be challenged, so this is not a route to deliberately avoid care fees (gov.uk, paying for your care, as at July 2026, subject to change).
- Support at home is widespread. Much later-life disability is supported by family rather than formal services, which is why the numbers on unpaid carers sit close to this topic.
- Plans may need to last. Because both the statistics and the rules change, a plan written years ago may no longer reflect either. Many people review their arrangements periodically rather than once.
For a fuller walk through the documents these numbers touch, our estate planning guide explains how wills, trusts, powers of attorney and tax planning fit together, and our overview of Care Home Fees sets out how the care funding rules work in England.
Disability data across the UK
The Family Resources Survey covers the UK, while the Census 2021 disability figures on this page are for England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland ran their own censuses (ONS Census 2021). The planning rules differ by nation too.
This article describes the law of England and Wales. Scotland has its own succession law, including legal rights that can give a spouse and children a fixed share of an estate, and it uses confirmation rather than a grant of probate. Care funding rules also differ, with Scotland operating its own system of personal and nursing care support. Northern Ireland has a separate but broadly similar system to England and Wales. Where an estate or a care arrangement touches more than one jurisdiction, it can be worth taking advice in each.
Sources and methodology
Every statistic on this page comes from a named official source and was checked against the live publication. Family Resources Survey figures are DWP national statistics based on a household survey; Census figures are ONS counts for the census date of 21 March 2021; health state life expectancy figures are ONS estimates for 2018 to 2020. Survey estimates carry sampling and coverage limits and describe populations, not individuals.
- DWP, Family Resources Survey, financial year 2024 to 2025 (published 2026): disability prevalence over State Pension age and across all ages, impairment types among disabled pensioners, and the decade comparison. gov.uk
- ONS, Disability, England and Wales, Census 2021 (census date 21 March 2021, bulletin released 19 January 2023): disability prevalence for England, Wales, and England and Wales combined, and the change since 2011. ons.gov.uk
- ONS, Disability by age, sex and deprivation, England and Wales, Census 2021: prevalence by age band and sex, including the “limited a lot” figures for those aged 70 to 74 and 90 and over. ons.gov.uk
- ONS, Health state life expectancies, UK, 2018 to 2020: healthy life expectancy at birth and disability-free life expectancy at age 65. ons.gov.uk
- gov.uk, paying for your care and power of attorney (as at July 2026, subject to change): care funding, deprivation of assets, and lasting powers of attorney. gov.uk/paying-for-your-care and gov.uk/power-of-attorney.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of older people in the UK are disabled?
Around 45% of adults over State Pension age in the UK were disabled in 2024 to 2025, compared with 25% across the whole population, on the Family Resources Survey (DWP FRS, 2024 to 2025). The survey covers private households and excludes care home residents, so it may understate disability among the oldest adults. Figures are subject to change.
Does disability increase with age?
On the available data, yes. At Census 2021 the share of people in England whose activities were “limited a lot” rose from 12.2% of women aged 70 to 74 to 47.1% of women aged 90 and over, with a similar pattern for men (ONS Census 2021). Prevalence rises steeply in the oldest groups. Figures are subject to change.
What are the most common disabilities in older people?
Among disabled pensioners in the UK, mobility was the most reported impairment at 68% in 2024 to 2025, followed by stamina, breathing or fatigue at 45% and dexterity at 34% (DWP FRS, 2024 to 2025). People can report more than one impairment, so the shares overlap. Figures are subject to change.
How many disabled people are there in England and Wales?
Census 2021 recorded 17.8% of people in England and Wales, some 10.4 million, as disabled under the Equality Act, down from 19.5% in 2011 (ONS, Disability, England and Wales, Census 2021). Census 2021 covered England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland ran separate censuses. Figures are subject to change.
Why does disability in later life matter for estate planning?
Higher rates of disability with age can bring forward questions about care, support at home and mental capacity. A lasting power of attorney lets someone you trust act if capacity is lost, and many people consider one while they still have full capacity (gov.uk/power-of-attorney, as at July 2026, subject to change). These figures are general context, not a personal prediction.
Do these figures include people in care homes?
Not fully. The Family Resources Survey covers private households and excludes care home residents, which may understate disability among the oldest adults (DWP FRS, 2024 to 2025). Census 2021 aimed to count the whole population, including communal establishments (ONS Census 2021). Figures are subject to change.