Support in the community is there on information sharing but doesn't cover the financial side of things. There are organisations for training young people and teaching parents/guardians on how to support children with disabilities. These are generally available to cover all people regardless of their ability or lack of access to public funds.

This being the thorn in the flesh because it highlights the disparities between children who have access to financial support and those without as poverty follows them. Children without support don't travel and socialise as expected due to limited funds to cover activities and meals/snacks while out of the house, limited budgets to use for engaging with friends online. If only, and only support can accommodate these children.

My concern revolves around the disparity in support for families raising children with disabilities. Specifically, families with recourse to public funds often receive essential support, while those without such recourse are left without. This exacerbates existing financial inequalities between these families and negatively impacts their children.



Families typically without recourse to public funds often consist of parents or guardians working in demanding, low-wage jobs. The hard-earned, yet minimal, income from these positions significantly deepens their poverty.



Furthermore, when considering children with non-physical disabilities, such as learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, or ADHD, these families face additional struggles. The 'invisible' nature of these disabilities often means they are overlooked for support, especially when public funds are inaccessible. This drastically lowers their standard of living and can lead children to feel inadequately provided for compared to their peers.



I hope this helps! Your message is very powerful, and I wanted to make sure the language supports that.

I have mental health issues, along with hearing difficulties and chronic migraines. I take high doses of medication which help to an extent but also have side effects of drowsiness. I am also a full time unpaid carer to my adult teen daughter who has autism. I have no family support.

We had a reasonable amount of support from social work for my daughter and a Carers Support charity for myself which were removed as Covid Lockdowns ended. Council budgets were cut ending social work support as we were assessed as being " better at coping". Charity funding was cut too. Carers Support tell me I just need to phone if I am in need of support. However, staff shortage meant nobody was available to talk with me and it would be 3 weeks before someone could call me back. The carers charity for Aberdeenshire is based around 50 miles away. I do not drive.

We have been isolated due to the withdrawn support. There is an emergency number I can call if we get to crisis point, in my file at the Carers Support charity. Nobody from the charity or social care services check in on us.

I have had a few episodes of illness, such as flu and chest infections. I have had an accident where I needed stitches in my knee. I have had to pay a taxi driver to pick up prescriptions from the chemist and drive me to the hospital.

A&E for treatment. These incidents were not crisis point enough for Carers support. I fear the day something serious happens to my health and my autistic daughter gets overwhelmed unable to call for help. We have learned that we are an inconvenience if we ask for help. My GP says I need to look after myself, so I can look after my daughter. I get no break to do so.

The best offer was an app for mindfulness. It's physical support to help clean up the flat, pick up prescriptions and groceries, make some food to feed my daughter. I'm supposed to use the disability benefits for this. We haven't had enough to pay a cleaner or home help as waited months for DWP to decide if daughter is worth her benefit with a health assessment. Also, we are paying half of our benefits into pre payment meters for gas and electric. We are aware of how wealthy politicians in Westminster decide our worth.

I do not feel supported at all and feel pretty much alone. And feel that the local council can do a lot more to help those with disabilites and those caring for others. Maybe have outreach events where carers can come together or arrange a fun session out once a month for those with disabilities and caring responsibilities.

No, I don’t think so, everything is still expensive and although it looks like the prices are going down, the quantity is reducing too.

This week was a nightmare, at home we are having boiler problems in our lower ground flat that we have rented from an agency since Christmas. The big problem is when there is no free help for private renters that are being played by the agencies or landlords. I wish the borough had free lawyers to support tenants to know more about their rights.

The expectation of services to feel it is a family matter gets to me to scream about equality yet in reality if someone is forced to put their life on hold to support a loved one family member or friend, it brings many emotional and mental issues along with the physical challenges. I believe society is very good at voicing concerns yet does nothing about it. An individual should never feel trapped into caring by guilt or fear of what people think. They say yes there's respite care etc., yet you are made to feel shame and guilt if you ask for help. We need to ensure that the primary carer of any individual feels valued, appreciated and supported to look after their mental emotional physical wellbeing and so they are empowered and encouraged to continue to give

It’s Friday. A bittersweet day tbh.

Having the children and a weekend to look forward too. But the weekend is too short.

In my case it is still difficult to look after my boys even though they are not small children anymore, because we don’t have family in the UK and the hours for my husband at work leaves me giving them my time and energy first and if there is anything left for me, I am already completely exhausted, I noticed also that I didn’t buy anything new for my husband or me in more than 3 years, and although the boys don’t ask things for them, we are forced to buy more frequently now that they are growing fast. I believe that a peaceful activity such as pottery, sewing or gardening can help with the stress of being a parent with no help or money whatsoever

In my area there’s virtually no support for carers or disabled people - and you have to endlessly jump through hoops to get it. CAMHS provide no help, nor does social services - adult or children’s. Wheelchair services are incredibly obstructive and the level of incredulity when we complain about lack of reasonable adjustments is staggering.

It will not end suddenly.

Inflation is slowing in many countries.

But prices will likely stay high.

Wages are slowly rising.

Energy costs are more stable now.

Housing remains expensive.

Relief will be gradual, not dramatic.

I do not feel the cost of living is coming to a end, I feel like it has been left to spiral out of control over the years and is possibly at its worst now with so many in debt over it, I feel like it will never end!