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SHOUT about Childhood Disability and Poverty...

Childhood disability is frequently a ‘trigger event’ for poverty, as a result of

additional costs, family break-up and unemployment that can follow the birth or diagnosis of a disabled child. Indeed, disability across the life cycle has a close association with poverty; the

presence of a disabled parent in the family increases the risk of poverty even further.

Those families where one or both parents are disabled have additional needs. Disabled children in these families face a risk of over 37 per cent of living in poverty.Using a standard income measure of poverty (60 per cent below the median income level after housing costs), government data from 1994–2005 shows that disabled children face a 30 per cent risk of poverty, compared with a 27 per cent risk across all households. A different measure of child poverty that took account of the additional costs that are associated with bringing up disabled children would be likely to show much higher rates of severe child poverty amongst these families.

Certain families with disabled children are particularly at risk of poverty, not least because services are not currently designed to meet their needs. Families from black and minority ethnic backgrounds in particular report a high level of

unmet need. Data from the Family Fund points to a lower rate of benefits take-up among disabled families from minority ethnic groups. Having more than one disabled child places further strain on the family. It is estimated that ten per cent of families with disabled children care for more than one disabled child.

There are around 770,000 disabled children in the UK. Disabled children aged 0–16

are the fastest-growing group amongst the population of disabled people. This

growing population contains proportionately more children with disabilities

requiring input from a range of services, in particular children with autistic spectrum

disorders and complex health needs. Families with disabled children remain disproportionately more likely to be in poverty. They are more than twice as likely as other families to be unable to afford five or more everyday items. From a major survey of over 1,800 families with disabled children, only 6 per cent reported they were ‘comfortably off’ with 93 per cent reporting some form of financial difficulty.

Families with disabled children face considerable additional expenditure on heating,

housing, clothing, equipment and other items compared with other families. It costs

three times as much to bring up a disabled child as it does a non-disabled child. In

1998, this equated to an annual cost of £7,355 to bring up a disabled child, compared

with £2,100 for other children. These extra costs associated with disability drive

high levels of poverty among disabled children and their families. Disabled families also struggle to adapt their homes to meet their children’s needs. The government has identified that as many as three-quarters of families with disabled children live in unsuitable housing.

Benefit increases have not been based on these extra costs. The tax and benefits

system does acknowledge that disabled children and their families incur additional

costs, particularly through Disability Living Allowance and premiums to relevant tax

credits. However, many have argued that the system fails to recognise the true cost to

these families. Over half (55 per cent) of the parents submitting evidence to Parliamentary Hearings described benefit levels for disabled children as poor.

Disabled children are also at a high risk of poverty as a result of low household

incomes. Many parents of disabled children are unable to work because of care

responsibilities and the lack of, or the cost of, appropriate childcare. Income figures do not give a full picture of poverty levels because they do not take into account additional expenditure. Recent DWP figures show that there are almost three times as many families with disabled children in the lowest income bracket as compared to families in the top income measure.

In 2003, families supporting a disabled child were 2.5 times more likely than other families to have no parent working for more than sixteen hours per week. Carers UK found that 86 per cent of those caring for disabled children under the age of 18 reported their earnings had been affected. Just 16 per cent of mothers with disabled children work, compared with 61 per cent of mothers with non-disabled children. 2001 census data found that only 38 per cent of families with a sick or disabled child contain two working adults, compared with 55 per cent of families generally. A generic failure to provide co-ordinated, streamlined support for children contributes to trapping families in poverty.

Barriers to work are also created by the stress of caring unsupported for a disabled child and the pressure this can place on family relationships. Three in ten lone parents (29 per cent) have a sick or disabled child. These families are particularly likely to have no adults in work. As a consequence of additional costs and limited income, families with disabled children are faced with a stark choice – go into debt or go without. Sometimes there is no choice between these unpalatable alternatives. Families with disabled children are both 50 per cent more likely to be in debt and 50 per cent less likely to be able to afford holidays, new clothes, school outings or ‘treats’ for their children than other families. These families ‘struggle on a daily basis to fulfil the needs of their child and use a variety of methods, including credit, to overcome their immediate financial hurdles.’ More than 1 in 5 families said they had to cut back on food as a result of the costs of bringing up their disabled child.

"...benefit increases have not been based on these extra costs...."

Only 563 on Sefton Disabled Children Register

"...extra costs associated with disability drive high levels of poverty..."

"...a stark choice – go into debt or go without..."

"...childhood disability is frequently a ‘trigger event’ for poverty..."

Only 760 Sefton Disabled Children get DLA

"...1 in 5 families said they had to cut back on food..."

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