By Michelle Thompson
Raising a child with special needs or a disability comes with additional financial pressures that many struggle to meet. From making adaptations to paying for specialized equipment, therapies and care, families face a myriad of exceptional costs. While government benefits provide some assistance, they often fall short of covering all needs. Families are left to bridge the gap, frequently facing economic hardship.
A 2020 survey by the disability charity Contact found that 83% of families with disabled children live in poverty in the UK. The cost of raising a disabled child is estimated to be three times higher than for other children. So what exactly are these extra expenses? And what can be done to better support these financially overloaded families?
First, families incur one-time costs to modify their homes and vehicles to accommodate disabilities. Installing ramps, widening doorways for wheelchair access, converting bathrooms and installing hoists or lifts quickly runs up bills of tens of thousands of pounds. Specialised beds, car adaptations and assistive communication tools also add major one-time costs. The ongoing costs of care are even more burdensome. Most families rely on privately paid care to supplement state provision. The annual cost of private care can be over £10,000 per disabled child. Paying for specialised childcare to allow parents to work is similarly expensive.
Therapies from physiotherapy to speech therapy are often only partially funded by the NHS, with parents paying the remainder. Some therapies like Applied Behavioural Analysis for autism can cost more than £50,000 per year. Special diets, clothing, bedding and supplies also cost more for disabled children. Since many parents cannot work full-time while caring for disabled children, lost income exacerbates financial strain. Leaving work to care cuts income precisely when more is needed. The cost of paying for respite care also limits employment.
State assistance is available but limited. Disability Living Allowance provides between £23 and £151 per week, depending on severity of disability. Carer's Allowance pays just £67.60 per week to help with care costs. Local authority support varies widely across the UK. Clearly these payments cannot cover the wide-ranging costs families face. The financial impacts do not end when children become adults. Many parents continue supporting adult children at home or in assisted living, with ongoing costs. Government support reduces after age 18, increasing reliance on family.
So what can be done? Families emphasise the need for more substantial, reliable financial assistance from government. Income supplements, funded therapies and increased respite care would alleviate pressure. Access to social care must be expanded and made more consistent across regions. Better financial planning support for future costs like adapting housing for ageing disabled residents is also needed. But equally important is emotional support and community understanding. Parents need relief not just from financial distress but also from judgement, stigma and isolation. Building welcoming communities that treat disabled individuals and families with dignity can make the burden feel lighter.
In a society that promises compassion and inclusion, families caring for the most vulnerable should not be left impoverished. With a few steps toward better financial planning, community integration and consistent government assistance, we can lift some of the extraordinary economic pressure off special needs families. This will enable parents to find more balance, joy and financial wellbeing in raising their disabled children.
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