{"id":6128,"date":"2022-04-21T09:37:36","date_gmt":"2022-04-21T08:37:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/?page_id=6128"},"modified":"2025-06-13T16:34:49","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T15:34:49","slug":"complex-needs-overview","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/about-us\/research\/complex-needs-overview\/","title":{"rendered":"Complex needs in the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Overview<\/a> | Demographic breakdown<\/a> | England <\/a>| Scotland <\/a>| Wales<\/a> | Northern Ireland<\/a> | Methodology<\/a><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\t
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For the first time, this piece of research has helped to estimate that there are 1.6 million disabled people with complex needs in the UK.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We wanted to answer the question, \u2018how many disabled people are there in the UK with complex needs?\u2019. It was also important for us to understand more about what complex needs will look like in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In partnership with the National Centre for Social Research, we have developed and deepened our understanding of the scale of complex disabilities in the UK in the present and for the future.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

Key findings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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1 in 10 disabled people live with complex needs.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

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\"graphic<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are 1.6 million disabled people with complex needs in the UK today.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

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There are projected to be 2 million disabled people with complex needs in the UK by 2029.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t

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Regional figures<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This research allows us to see how disabled people with complex needs are distributed across the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"map<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Nation<\/strong><\/td>Number of people<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
England<\/strong><\/td>1,378,343<\/td><\/tr>
Northern Ireland<\/strong><\/td>51,904<\/td><\/tr>
Scotland<\/strong><\/td>156,824<\/td><\/tr>
Wales<\/strong><\/td>83,709<\/td><\/tr>
UK<\/strong><\/td>1,591,911<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
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What have we learned about disabled people with complex needs living in the UK?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Key characteristics<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We have been able to get a clearer picture of who disabled people with complex needs are. Our research has involved analysis of data on the age, sex and ethnicity of these individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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See the demographic breakdown<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
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What do we mean by \u2018disabled people with complex needs\u2019?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Learn more about complex disabilities and see who Sense supports through its services.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n

\n Learn more<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

For the purposes of this research, the term \u2018disabled people with complex needs\u2019 means a person may have two or more of the following conditions and they report that their life is impacted:<\/p>\n\n\n\n