Research to make sure Welsh families get help

21st February 2012 from Family Fund

Charity research to make sure Welsh families with disabled children get help

A UK-wide charity which provides grant help to low income families raising disabled children is to launch new research over fears hundreds of Welsh households could be missing out on critical support.

The Family Fund last year supported more than 2,200 low income families in Wales with essential grant items ranging from the cost of travelling to hospital, clothing, and washing machines designed to ease some of the pressures of raising a disabled child.

The charity, which receives funding from the Welsh Government, is concerned that some eligible families in the country could be missing out as the effects of economic downturn bite deeper is working with the Welsh Government and Contact A Family Wales on research to plot potential gaps.

The study will compare postcodes of areas of Wales known to have highest deprivation with the locations of families who have previously sought support from either of the charities.

Cheryl Ward Development Director, Family Fund said: “There is not enough funding to help everyone but there are known pockets of high deprivation in Wales where the numbers of applications we receive is not as high as we’d expect.

“Our priority is to make sure those who most need our help are getting it – especially as the economic climate can really affect families raising disabled children. The research will help tell us if we are reaching all the people we can. In the meantime, we urge families to get in touch.”

The Fund says the research will plot links between disability, poverty and geography, improving understanding about the difficulties faced by families and giving the charity useful information for targeting awareness raising campaigns in places of low take up.

Keith Bowen, Manager, Contact a Family Wales, said: “Although there is a wide range of evidence describing the considerable financial challenges facing families of disabled children there is little specific data from Wales. This work aims to shed some light on the relationship between social deprivation and families of disabled children in Wales.”