The survey findings, released last week, show that there is an unsustainable strain on families as they try to cover sky-high costs on top of reduced incomes due to intense caring responsibilities, low benefits, and critical levels of debt. The Family Fund found that the costs of raising a Disabled child is three times higher than that of other families.
Over half of parents and carers questioned report skipping or cutting the size of their meals because there wasn’t enough money for food, while more than one in ten say they’ve had to cut back on essential items for their disabled children. Other findings showed that over 40% of people asked said they can’t afford to keep their accommodation warm, which is a 13% increase since December 2021.
Campaigners are calling for the Government to increase the Cost-of-Living support payments as they say many Britons are struggling to survive on the benefits they receive.
Speaking to DR UK, Sarah Skerman, mum to Toby who has said Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, said: “We are having to use savings now to pay for heating as our heating bill has more than doubled. If Toby doesn’t keep warm his joints dislocate and his pain levels increase. Our savings were there to provide for Toby’s future care when we are no longer able to.”
Cheryl Ward, Family Fund Chief Executive, said: “The outlook for families raising a disabled or seriously ill child is now graver than ever. They are unsure how to cope with ever-rising caring costs with winter approaching, they are having to borrow more credit to pay for intense levels of debt and feeling more isolated than ever, with worsening mental and physical health. These are families on the lowest of incomes, due to caring for their children round-the-clock and having far-reduced available support services, post-pandemic.
Dan White Policy and Campaigns officer at DR UK and one of the leads at the Disability Poverty Campaign Group told us: “People often Forget that amongst the 14.6 million disabled people in the UK, 9% are Disabled children whose parents are now putting their own mental and physical health in real jeopardy. If the health of the carers declines who is going to pick up the pieces? Disabled children and families must be a priority here. The DPCG recently wrote an impassioned letter to the Prime Minister urging her to listen to us and raise benefits in line with inflation now and get a real humane grip on this escalating crisis. A compassionate society cannot stand idly by and allow any child to be put at any risk of malnutrition or ill-health.”
The Family Fund report is available on their website.
