Guaranteed access for persons with disabilities to bank loans, mortgages and other forms of credit

Question for written answer  E-001872/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Chiara Gemma (NI)

The EU and its Member States, as signatories to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), have pledged to take action to ensure equal access for persons with disabilities to bank loans, mortgages and other forms of financial credit (Article 12(5) of the UNCRPD).

However, in Italy, some people with disabilities or civilian invalids find it difficult to access mortgages and the relevant insurance policies and, therefore, to buy a house independently. Only a few banks are currently overcoming these barriers, working together with the Italian National Association for Persons with Disabilities.

In the past, a study commissioned by the Commission’s DG EMPL (2010) had already reported complaints of discrimination on grounds of disability in the banking and insurance sector, suggesting that taking disability into account when deciding whether or not to provide a financial product could exclude these ‘at risk’ individuals from access to credit. In 2010, 13 Member States had measures in place to regulate the use of age- and disability-related factors in risk calculations for financial products, and another seven countries had such measures solely for disability.

In the light of the above, of Article 12 of the UNCRPD and of the objective to protect consumers (Directive 2014/17/EU), will the Commission carry out an audit to look into this issue in depth and, where necessary, encourage Member States to ensure that access to credit is guaranteed for all persons with disabilities?