Disability Information UKPlain-language information, rights and support

Disability hate crime and reporting

What counts as disability hate crime, how to report it, and support for victims across the UK.

Sample content. This summarises official sources listed below. It is information, not legal advice.

Jurisdiction
UK-wide
Date last checked
1 August 2026
Date last updated
1 August 2026
Next review due
1 February 2027
Version
1.0

Key points

  • A disability hate crime is any criminal offence which the victim, or anyone else, believes was motivated by hostility or prejudice based on disability, or where the offender targeted the victim because they were perceived to be disabled.
  • It can include verbal abuse, harassment, damage to property, physical assault, or online abuse, and does not have to involve physical violence to be a crime.
  • 'Mate crime', where someone who pretends to be a friend exploits or abuses a disabled person, is also a form of disability hate crime and can be reported in the same way.
  • Courts in England, Wales and Scotland can treat disability hostility as an aggravating factor, meaning it can lead to a tougher sentence, once a crime such as assault or harassment has been proved. Northern Ireland has its own approach to aggravating factors and specific hate crime legislation is developing.
  • You do not have to be the victim to report a hate crime or hate incident; anyone can report it, including witnesses, family, friends or support workers.
  • A 'hate incident' that is not a crime can still be recorded by police and can help build a picture of a problem, for example repeated low-level harassment that has not yet met the threshold for a specific offence.
  • A worked example: if a disabled person is regularly mocked or has objects thrown at them near their home, this can be reported as a hate crime or hate incident even if no single incident feels 'serious enough' on its own; a pattern of behaviour can be relevant.
  • You can ask for support to report a crime, including an appropriate adult, communication support, or reporting through a third party if you find it hard to go directly to the police.

What you can do

  • In an emergency, or if a crime is happening now, call 999. For non-emergencies, call 101 (England, Wales and Northern Ireland use 101; Scotland also uses 101) or report online via your local police force's website.
  • Use a third-party reporting centre if you don't want to go directly to the police; these are often run by local disability charities, councils or victim support services.
  • Keep a record of what happened, when, and any evidence such as messages, photos or witness details.
  • Contact Victim Support (England and Wales), Victim Support Scotland, or Victim Support NI for free, confidential help regardless of whether you report to the police.
  • Ask about special measures if you need to give evidence in court, such as screens, video link or an intermediary.
  • Report online hate content directly to the platform as well as, or instead of, the police, using the platform's reporting tools.

Sources