Disability charities write to future PM hopefuls calling for greater financial support for disabled people

25 July 2022 – 50 disability charities, including Sense, Contact and the National Autistic Society, have written to the two remaining candidates in the race to become the next leader of the Conservative party, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, to call on them to ensure disabled people are “put at the heart of any plan they make as leader to address the cost of living crisis”.

The letter, signed by members of two major disability coalitions, the Disabled Children’s Partnership and Disability Charities Consortium, highlight the disproportionate impact the cost of living crisis is having on disabled households, with research* by the charity Sense revealing that over half of disabled households are in debt, with nearly a third admitting to skipping meals to save money .

The letter in full:

25th July 2022

Dear Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss,

Re: Support disabled people through the cost of living crisis

Congratulations on reaching the final stage of the Conservative leadership contest.

As the CEOs and leaders of 50 charities we are calling on you to put disabled children, adults and families and the unpaid carers who support them at the heart of any plan you make as leader to address the cost of living crisis.

While everyone is impacted by the current economic situation, disabled households are often hardest hit because of their circumstance. Many are in poverty, less likely to be in full-time work and face additional costs for essentials like specialist equipment, heating, insurance and therapies.  Research has found that over half of disabled households are in debt, and nearly a third admit to skipping meals to save money.

Recent steps to support disabled children and adults have been welcome, but they are short term solutions for a long-term issue.  With over 14 million disabled people living in the UK today this isn’t something that can be ignored.  We hope that you will personally commit to tackling the inequalities that disabled children, adults and their families face.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Kramer, CEO Sense, on behalf of:

AFASIC

AFK Charity

Alex, The Leukodystrophy Charity

Ambitious About Autism

Batten Disease Family Association

Business Disability Forum

Carers UK

Chailey Heritage Foundation

Challengers

Child Poverty Action Group

Contact – for families with disabled children

Down Syndrome UK/Positive about Down Syndrome

Down’s Syndrome Association

Family Fund

Gene People

HFT

Include Me Too

KIDS

Leonard Cheshire

Mencap

Mind

MOVE Europe

NAC

National Autistic Society

National Bobath Cerebral Palsy Centre

Prader-Willi Syndrome Association UK

Rainbow Trust

Rett UK

RNIB

RNID

Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity

Royal College of Occupational Therapists

Scope

Sebastian’s Action Trust

SeeAbility

Sense

Shine

Sibs

SNAP (Special Needs and Parents)

Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK

The Challenging Behaviour Foundation

The Children’s Hyperinsulinism Charity

The Children’s Trust

The Maypole Project

Together For Short Lives

Together Trust

Treloar’s

Tuberous Sclerosis Association

United Response

Whizz-Kids

Young Epilepsy

Young Minds

Ends

Notes to editor:

***The research conducted by Censuswide, on behalf of Sense. 2,008 disabled people and families across the UK were surveyed between 01.06.2022 to 08.06.2022.