Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Disabled people facing ‘impossible choices to survive’ in cost of living crisis

Disabled people facing ‘impossible choices to survive’ in cost of living crisis

Charities urge chancellor to use spring statement to offer support as energy and food costs rise
Disabled people will face “impossible choices in order to survive” amid a perfect storm of soaring energy prices, increasing fuel and food costs and cuts to government support, charities have warned.

As the UK steadies itself for a rise in energy bills next month at the same time as state benefits are cut in real terms, leading disability and poverty charities including Scope, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), Leonard Cheshire, and the MS Society have said that disabled people and their families will be put under severe financial pressure.

They warn that disabled people could be pushed to use food banks and unwashed soiled clothes in order to prioritise keeping lifesaving medical equipment such as ventilators running, as well as other vital goods. Disabled people typically have higher energy needs than the wider public, while being more likely to be in poverty.

Una Summerson, head of policy at disability charity Contact, said: “Some disabled children need life-saving equipment that is powered by electricity to survive such as ventilators and feeding pumps. Electric wheelchairs, stair lifts and extra washing due to continence issues can’t be cut back on either; they are essential to quality and safety of life. So disabled households are going to face impossible choices … We have huge concerns how families are going to cope.”

To care for their eight-year-old daughter with cerebral palsy, Dan McEvoy and his partner need to charge a dozen types of equipment each day: from a BiPAP ventilator, oxygen concentrators, a moveable bed, hoists, a SATS machine, to a feed pump. “Our electricity bill is due to rise £309 a year, and that includes some subsidies that we receive,” he says. “We’ll sacrifice food and heating to keep our daughter safe and healthy.”

Charities are urging the chancellor to use the upcoming spring statement to introduce support for disabled people to survive the cost of living crisis. There is concern that the government are planning to bar over 200,000 people on disability benefits from claiming discounts to heat their homes, in a move that the poverty charity Turn2Us warn could push many disabled people into “extreme hardship” when combined with rising prices and other funding cuts.

Thomas Cave, policy and public affairs manager at Turn2us, said: “Millions of people across the UK are facing a tight squeeze on their incomes as the cost-of-living continues to soar. But for disabled people who already experience additional living costs, the impending rise to energy prices could push many into extreme hardship.

“We worry that disabled people will undoubtedly face impossible choices in order to survive as they contend with a perfect storm of rising energy prices, increasing fuel and food costs, and a real-terms cut to benefit levels in April. This is on top of a potential removal of the Warm Home Discount for people on disability benefits. We need urgent action to stop this cut to benefits, just when disabled people need support most.”

Helen Walker, chief executive of Carers UK, said they were seeing “unprecedented” financial worries from unpaid carers and those they care for.

“Many already face additional costs which they have to cover themselves, from specialist, life-saving equipment for someone who needs it to extra care costs. In our latest survey of 3,300 carers, 42% thought that in the coming months they would not be able to heat their home to a safe level and 32% are worried they will have to use a food bank … Thousands more are being pushed into poverty that will have a lasting impact on their finances and quality of life.”

James Taylor, director of strategy at Scope, stressed that many disabled people were already struggling: “Right now there are disabled people – whose condition means they need to keep warm – having only one meal a day. Others, go without so their children can eat, live in a damp house, or wake up cold and go to bed early. Our energy hotline and website have been inundated by disabled people facing impossible choices, with nowhere else to turn.”

Becky Whinnerah’s 11-year-old daughter is doubly incontinent but rising energy bills means she can’t afford to dry laundry on rainy days to keep her clean. Whinnerah has three children – two have physical and learning disabilities – and plans to “slash” the family’s food bill and stop putting the heating on to get through the coming months. “We only have debt, no savings,” she said. “I’m terrified we’ll lose everything.”

A government spokesperson said: “We recognise the pressures people are facing with the cost of living, which is why we have set out a £21bn package of support, including a £150 council tax rebate and a further £200 energy bill discount. The energy price cap also continues to insulate millions of customers from volatile global gas prices.

“In addition, we know that living with a long-term illness or disability can impact on living costs and we’ve made extra financial support available to those with disabilities, or those who care for them, through personal independence payment (PIP), employment support allowance (ESA) and carer’s allowance.”
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz: “The Current Welfare State Can No Longer Be Financed”
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
Wizz Air passengers screamed as storm-battered flight diverts to Bologna
European postal services halt U.S. deliveries after Trump imposes new tariffs
Urban explorer finds abandoned luxury restaurant left to decay
Fidesz leader labels Péter Magyar a ‘bluffer’ amid escalating political spat
French rope park operator arrested for denying entry to Israeli children
Újpest thrashes Zalaegerszeg 4-1 to secure first win in five matches
Profit-margin cap costs retailers 13 billion forints a month, warns trade group
Curiosity rover finds coral-like rock on Mars hinting at watery past
U.S. green policy rollback drives investors to Europe’s sustainable finance market
Special funerals rise in Hungary: boat, aerial and forest burials gain popularity
Hungary’s Kiskunság region turning into semi-desert after extreme drought
Kopasz Bálint wins world kayak 1000 m title in Milan, making him triple world champion
Budapest’s Keleti railway station to close for four weeks for track overhaul
Balaton could be unfit for swimming by 2035 and dry by 2050, scientists warn
Leaked guidelines show Meta’s AI allowed flirty and racist interactions with children
Filming of ‘Emily in Paris’ halted after assistant director dies on set
Filipino guest workers sue after Hungary moves to deport them for pregnancy
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
A monster hit and a billion-dollar toy empire
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
Canada: Nurse Suspended and Fined 93 Thousand Dollars After Stating the World’s Most Well-Known Fact Since the Creation of Adam and Eve, That There Are Only Two Genders
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
U.S. Treasury Secretary Whitney Bessent Backs Stablecoins to Boost Treasury Demand
Spain to Declare Disaster Zones After Massive Wildfires
Three-Minute Battery Swap Touted as Future of EVs
Beijing Military Parade to Showcase Weapons Advances
×