Families with disabled children calling for more financial support
New figures show almost 50 per cent of families raising a disabled child or young person are cutting back on their energy
Families with disabled children say they are reaching financial breaking point, and are asking for the Chancellor to step in.
In its latest poll, national charity Family Fund shows how prospects for the families it supports continue to worsen, as they grapple with the ever-rising cost of living for day-to-day needs.
As the UK’s largest grant-making charity for families raising disabled and seriously ill children, on the lowest incomes, Family Fund provides essential goods and services to families including kitchen appliances, clothing, bedding, play and sensory equipment and much-needed family breaks.
Last year, it delivered over 170,919 grants and services, worth over £37 million, to families on low incomes across the UK.
The charity’s Cost of Caring report, published last month for the first time, showed deteriorating conditions for families with disabled and seriously ill children. The report covered four quarterly polls in the year that followed the pandemic.
However, the latest quarterly poll, from September this year, shows an ever worsening picture, with families facing hunger and spiralling debts as they struggle to meet the needs of their children.
Families face a triple whammy of sky-high costs on top of severely reduced incomes, due to intense caring responsibilities and three-times-higher costs to look after a disabled child.
Over 70% of parents and carers report not being able to work at all, or as much as they want to, because of the care their children need, a post-pandemic reduction in support services for children, and parents being furloughed and living on reduced benefits.
Sarah is from Derbyshire and lives at home with her 4 children, including her 13 year old son Lewis who is autistic, she says the cost-of-living impact is impacting her.
Speaking about Lewis, Sarah said: "He doesn't really go out, he doesn't go to see friends, he's in a lot of pain after school, so he tends to be in the house a lot.
His main communication is his phone, or his PlayStation. It's electric all the time, isn't it."
Cheryl Ward, Family Fund’s Chief Executive Officer, said:
“Our latest figures show that families with disabled and seriously ill children continue to face daunting financial challenges, which are worsening as winter approaches.
“The majority of families who have been supported by Family Fund have shared with us how they are struggling to cover mounting debts and worry constantly about how they are going to clothe and feed their children, fund transport for medical appointments and heat their homes. .
“We are doing everything we can to support families whose costs are already three times higher to care for, and raise, their disabled children than costs for other children. We urge families who need support with urgent and essential items this winter to go to our website (Family Fund) to see if we can help them.”