The Every Disabled Child Matters Campaign surveyed more than 1,800families with disabled children, and found 93 per cent reporting thatthey faced financial difficulties. One in five families said they had tocut back on buying food as a result of the cost of bringing up theirdisabled child.
The campaign group called childhood disability a 'trigger event' forpoverty, with parents unable to work because of care responsibilitiesand the cost of raising a disabled child sometimes being three times asmuch as for bringing up a non-disabled child.
The campaign wants a 300 increase in the upper limit of eligiblechildcare costs under Working Tax Credit for families with a disabledchild. It is calling on the Government to take action on the low-take upof disability living allowance and to give an extra 34m over thenext three years to the Family Fund, a charity offering support andfinancial assistance to families with severely disabled children.
Campaign manager Steve Broach said, 'We think that 100,000 families whomay be entitled to disability living allowance are not currentlyclaiming, and we'd like to see a big promotional push to show familieswhat their entitlements are. We recognise the Government has taken stepsto end child poverty, but we need to keep disabled children high up theagenda.'
