Support for disabled children in UK reaches 42-year record high

Family Fund, the UK’s largest provider of grants to low income families raising disabled and seriously ill children and young people, provided grants and support services to 72,043 families across the UK – their highest number in 42 years of existence.

Family Fund exists to give families on low incomes raising disabled and seriously ill children and young people the same opportunities as others. They do this by providing grants for a wide range of essential items such as family breaks, sensory toys, kitchen appliances, tablets, clothing, furniture and much more. They also provide information and signposting to further advice and support for families.

In their Annual Review 2014/15, the heart of everything we do, they outline the impact of their grant-giving and support services, showing specifically how these grants create better opportunities for families with disabled or seriously ill children and young people.   

• Of the 81,917 applications received from families for grants, 69,464 were helped with over £33 million in grants and services.  This is a 3.8% increase on the previous year on the same level of funding.
• There has been a 22.5% increase in families helped in the UK over the last five years. The most grants were awarded for family breaks, with 28,796 families receiving support.
• A total of 2,551 families received help within 48 hours of their urgent application being received, after finding themselves in unexpected financial crisis, for example towards visiting costs during their child’s hospital care.
• A further 2,579 UK families were helped through smaller programmes, including grants for siblings and support with access to claim Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
• This annual review also outlines how the charity continues to deliver its services efficiently, with 94p in every £1 being spent on direct charitable purposes.

Having a child with a disability generates additional pressures for the wider family, whether that be physical, emotional or financial.  These grants  help break down many of the barriers families face, improving their quality of life and easing the additional daily pressures.

One of the main pressures that Siddra experienced raising her son was keeping up with the laundry. Subhaan is two and a half years old with epilepsy, visual impairment and sleep apnea as well as neurodegenerative disease.  He needs constant care and attention which leaves little time for Siddra to spend time with her daughter, Safaa.  She said:

“As you can imagine, Subhaan goes through so many clothes and bedding. With Family Fund’s grant for a tumble dryer, it is so much easier to have clean laundry. I don’t know what I would do without Family Fund, you help with things that other people take for granted but these things are a lifeline to us.”

Cheryl Ward, Family Fund Group Chief Executive said:

“Last year, we helped more families than ever before across the UK, with 72,043 families receiving support. This is at a time when families are faced with uncertainty about what support services will be available to them in the future, with some already cut.”

“We believe that all families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people should have the same opportunities as others and these grants are a small way of helping to achieve that. This is made possible because of the support we receive from the four UK governments, along with our corporate partners and loyal supporters, and we will be working hard to ensure we are able to help as many families as possible this year.”

Family Fund’s Annual Review 2014/15 can be read at www.familyfundannualreview.co.uk

Jim Paterson, Communications Manager
Family Fund, 4 Alpha Court, Monks Cross Drive, Huntington, York, YO32 9WN

Tel: 01904 571094 email: comms@familyfund.org.uk

The Family Fund is the country’s largest grant-giving charity and has over forty years of helping families with disabled children. It helps ease the additional pressures faced by low-income families raising a disabled child by giving them grants for a wide range of goods and services, including washing machines, dryers, fridges, clothing, bedding, sensory toys, computers, much- needed family breaks and more. Across the UK last year, the Fund supported over 72,000 families.