Sharp rise in assistance requests from British disability charities

From The Guardian in the UK:

Over the past 12 months, Kym Gleeson has seen her grocery bills soar by a third. Her petrol bill has shot up £100 a month and her gas bill has doubled. Last month, her husband was laid off from his job as a steel worker, putting greater strain on the family finances. Not an unusual story, in the financial climate, but with a disabled son to care for, the Gleesons are being stung particularly hard by the credit crunch.

Their 14-year-old daughter, Annalise, has severe learning difficulties and a range of gastrointestinal problems, which means the family simply can't cut back as many others might. "Annalise has chronic lung disease so I have to keep the house warm," says Gleeson. "And because of her stomach problems, I'm doing up to six loads of washing a day, which obviously impacts on utility bills. I have to run a three-litre car to fit in her wheelchair. On weeks when we have lots of hospital appointments, I can spend up to £90 on petrol."

As the financial crisis deepens, calls to the helpline at disabled children's charity Newlife have increased 400%, and staff are taking an increasing number of calls from families with money troubles. Most worrying, says its chief executive, Sheila Brown, is that some families are forced to turn to credit to fund essential equipment such as wheelchairs and household adaptations. "Statutory services often spend a pitiful amount on equipment for each disabled child, and some charities have waiting lists of up to two years. There are a quarter of a million children across the country desperate for essential equipment."

A survey carried out by Contact A Family, a charity for families with disabled children, has found that one in six disabled children live in a household struggling to afford food and heating. Of the 800 families who took part, 18% said they were struggling with mortgage and rent payments.

And new research from the campaigning organisation Carers' UK published last week found carers of disabled children are 13% more likely to be in debt compared with the rest of the population.

Staff in special schools need to look out for signs that pupils' families may be struggling, in case they can help them to access support. "In times of financial crisis, disabled families are usually hit the hardest," says Barry Payne, headteacher of Parkside special school, Norwich. "When you have a disabled child, everything in life is more expensive. If they aren't already, many families with disabled children will start to feel the pinch in the coming months."

The campaigning group Every Disabled Child Matters is lobbying the government to increase the disability living allowance (a tax-free benefit for children and adults who need help with personal care) and to increase the childcare element of the working tax credit, which would make it easier for parents of disabled children to work, but this is little help in the immediate term.

Helen Meakes, whose 15-year-old son, Joe, (both pictured) has cerebral palsy, is already struggling. Like Gleeson, her utility bills have more than doubled over the last year. Last month, Joe had 21 hospital appointments. "When you have a disabled child you have to take the car everywhere, even if it's just a quick run to the local shops. Also, I have to keep the house warm all the time. It all pushes your bills up."

"Families with disabled children are already at greater risk of living in poverty," says Srabani Sen, chief executive of Contact a Family. "The credit crisis and soaring cost of living is putting enormous pressure on already vulnerable families. It costs three times as much to raise a disabled child. We don't believe that disability benefits cover the true expense for families, particularly now the price of food and energy has shot up."

Together with Every Disabled Child Matters, the charity is campaigning for a pilot of winter fuel allowance (currently £125-£400 for over 60s) for families with young disabled children under five, which they estimate would cost around £8m.

In last month's pre-budget report, the chancellor, Alistair Darling, announced a one-off extra payment of £60 to disabled children and families in receipt of disability living allowance or carer's allowance in January 2009. But it will do little to ease the money worries, says Gleeson. Despite providing 24/7 care for her child, Gleeson receives just £50.55 carer's allowance from the government a week. A qualified accountant by trade, she would like to work, but the cost of childcare is prohibitive. "Annalise would need two carers at around £15 an hour each. But there is no help available from the government. If Annalise was in foster care, it would cost £750 a week just for living costs. As well as having to live in poverty, being on £50 a week for everything you do doesn't do wonders for your self-esteem."