Counting the Costs campaign

Mon,24 November 2014
News Equality & Rights

Contact a Family has launched its ‘Counting the Costs’ campaign

Based on feedback from over 3,500 families, Contact a Family are urging energy companies and the UK government to address a sharp increase in families with disabled children going without heating and food. This is leading to ill health.

Speaking about this issue, on Sky news today, Liz Sayce, CEO of Disability Rights UK said that the Government’s own figures show families with disabled children face greater poverty than other families and the debt is growing.

She said that many families are hit by a triple whammy of benefits that don’t cover the extra costs of disability; raised eligibility standards and declining amounts of care; and lack of accessible childcare, which can prevent parents of disabled children from working.

She cited the example of good practice which is bringing together education, health and care but said that this needs to go further. We also need a benefits system which reflects the extra costs of disability

Without these in place, she said, disabled children do not grow up with a good start in life, which impacts on life chances and employment prospects.

Find out more about the Counting the Costs campaign