North Yorkshire families with disabled children hit hard by rising cost of living

A new report has revealed how the cost of living is impacting families with disabled children.

The Charity Family Fund says costs are three times higher for those raising a seriously ill or disabled child. Their 'cost of care' report shows a deteriorating situation for many.

Key findings from latest quarterly poll with UK families raising a disabled child or young person:

Impact on households:

• average household income for families has fallen by over £660 in the last 12 months;

• almost 60% of families (59%) report an increase in household bills of more than £100 a month;

• 9 in ten families report they are struggling or falling behind on household bills (92%);

• one in five families (21%) say their debt levels have risen by more than £1,000 in the last 12 months;

• nearly 80 per cent of families (78%) have no savings to fall back on;

• 75% of families say they would not be able to save £10 a month;

• 58% have cut or skipped meals;

• 40% have gone hungry because there was not enough money for food;

• 48% are cutting back on energy;

• over one third (35%) of families are cutting back on transport costs;

• over one third (31%) of households said they have gone without carpets because they can’t afford them;

• 11% have gone without a cooker or fridge;

• 23% have gone without curtains;

• 20% have gone without beds;

• 27% have used a food bank;

The Charity is offering supper to Caroline Wells who lives near York. Her daughter has Autism and sensory issues. She tells us she only eats specific foods meaning she can't just swap to cheaper brands: "Because she doesn't eat a great deal of food, her diet is limited to things that are of a hard texture. So, to get vitamins into her I need to buy special milk and fortified cereals".

While many people are cutting back on heating and purchases such as clothing, Caroline says it's not that straightforward when you have a disabled child: "Sienna has sensory processing disorder so like a lot of autistic children she can only wear certain types of clothes and eat certain types of food and has lots of sensory equipment and these things can't be cut down or cut off."

Cheryl Ward, Family Fund’s Chief Executive Officer from Family fund say: "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."

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