Table 1.

Summary of key challenges hindering disability-inclusive economic responses and recommendations for their resolution.

	Challenge	Recommendations
Eligibility criteria	Means-testing and proxy-means testing underestimates poverty amongst people with disabilities	•Raise poverty thresholds for applicants with disabilities to account for disability-related extra costs and/or address disability-related costs through separate programs
	Disability assessments for disability-targeted programs are resource intensive and exclude many people with disabilities	•Ensure definition of disability and assessment procedures are UNCRPD compliant (e.g. functioning-based rather than impairment-based) •Train community informants to conduct assessments rather than relying on medical personnel
	People with disabilities may be ineligible to receive COVID-19 related interventions if they are already recipients of another social protection program	•Coordinate new COVID-19 related programs with existing social protection programs
Application procedures	Application process is not accessible	•Ensure information about the program and application materials are available in accessible formats (e.g. Braille, screen-reader compatible digital materials, simplified texts and recordings) •Adapt application facilities so they are physically accessible •Involve DPOs in the dissemination of information about programs and in reviewing the accessibility of application procedures
	Application process is time-consuming and expensive, particularly for people with disabilities	•Decentralize and streamline the application process to limit long and frequent travel (e.g. community-based registration drives) •Provide accommodations to reduce difficulties reaching application points (e.g. home-based assessments for people with mobility limitations unable to travel to application points with available public transportation)
	Misconceptions and stigma of disability lead to the exclusion of people with disabilities	•Train program staff on disability and provide needed supports (e.g. sign language interpretation, accessible informational materials) for effective consultations
Delivery of benefits	Delivery methods are not accessible	•Ensure mobile platforms are accessible for people with visual impairments (e.g. phone-based applications are screen-reader compatible) and alternatives are available for people who lack required technology •Ensure delivery points are physically accessible and nearby; offer accommodations (e.g. pick-up by a nominated individual)
	People with disabilities have little control over the benefits they receive	•Transfer benefits directly to the recipient except in clearly defined circumstances (e.g. children, people with severe intellectual/cognitive impairments, where requested by the recipient)
Adequacy & relevance	Programs are not relevant to many people with disabilities	•Consider the needs and situation of people with disabilities when designing benefit packages and offer adaptations (e.g. temporary employment schemes with alternatives to manual labor, unemployment insurance covering the informal sector)
	Benefit packages are insufficient to meet intended aims, particularly for recipients with disabilities	•Adjust benefit packages for people with disabilities (e.g. higher benefit levels to cover both extra costs and high levels of poverty; disability-specific benefits such as access to disability-related health and social services) •Consider the financial and non-financial barriers people with disabilities face to meeting basic needs and coordinate with other sectors/actors to develop complementary or adapted interventions (e.g. food delivery where purchasing food is challenging)