The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has said there are “no plans” to further increase the disabled child elements of Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit beyond the annual uprating which was applied earlier this month. The response came in response to a query from Labour MP Fleur Anderson.
Ms Anderson referenced the recent Guide Dogs for the Blind Association’s ‘Out Of Pocket’ campaign, which called for an additional uplift of £15 every month for families with a disabled child. The Putney MP asked: “if he [Secretary of State for Work and Pensions] will uplift the disabled child elements of Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit by £15 a month in addition to the CPI-linked uplift”.
In a written response earlier this week, Minister for Disabled People Tom Pursglove MP, said: “There are no plans to further increase the disabled child elements of Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit beyond the annual uprating that occurred in April 2023.”
Before the Spring Budget on March 15, representatives from the Guide Dogs charity handed in an open letter directly to 11 Downing Street urging the UK Government to help families with disabled children.
The proposal had been backed by five other charities, over 20 political figures and 2,653 members of the public.
New research by Guide Dogs indicates the cost of living crisis is having a disproportionate impact on families with visually impaired children. The report reveals parents and guardians of vision impaired children are more worried about being able to pay their energy and utility bills and cover the cost of fuel compared with families with non-disabled children.
Millions of households across the country are dealing with the ongoing challenges of soaring energy bills, double-digit inflation and ever-increasing prices in the supermarket. However, Guide Dogs research found that families of vision impaired children have additional costs due to their specific needs, which other families do not face.
While most families access disability related benefits, only a fifth (22%) said these benefits are sufficient to cover the extra costs incurred. As a result, parents’ mental health is suffering as they are forced to make difficult decisions.
The survey revealed that families of vision impaired children have to pay greater energy and fuel costs relating to their child’s disability.
Higher energy bills
The study found families with a disabled child need to keep lights on for longer to make homes as accessible and safe as possible.
Additionally, children with complex needs can require vital medical equipment running through the day and night.
One parent of a child with visual impairment said: “We have to keep lights on longer in the winter so he can see the stairs and the hallway and the heating on as his muscles hurt more in the winter so he can’t get cold.”
Another parent commented: “My son is unable to regulate his temperature so in the winter we have to have the heating on more and in the summer the fans are used more.
“Also due to him having chorioretinopathy the lights are kept on more in the winter even during the day when it’s overcast as he struggles to see. I think the approximate cost per year would be an extra £400.”
Extra fuel costs
The study found that families of vision impaired children are more dependent on their cars due to needing to travel further to attend school and more frequent medical appointments.
Commenting on the report, Helen Honstvet, Senior Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager at Guide Dogs, said: “The [UK] Government needs to take the opportunity of the Budget to provide more targeted support to families with vision impaired and disabled children.
“Families are experiencing significant hardship today, with many having to make tough decisions about where to save money. Many of the additional financial costs that families are facing come from systems that are not supporting and including children with a vision impairment in the way they should.”
You can read the full ‘Out Of Pocket’ report from Guide Dogs online here.
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