Families with disabled kids forced to spend £111 a month more on food, study finds
PARENTS with disabled or seriously ill children constantly worry their kids will always be at a disadvantage, a new report has found.
It's one of the biggest fears for parents, as well as higher food and energy bills, and concerns about the lack of interaction their kids have with other little ones.
A study by McCain and charity Family Fund found that parents with disabled kids also have to spend £111 more a month on food than those with non-disabled children.
Researchers polled 1,000 parents of four to 11-year-olds who aren’t disabled and 1,000 parents with at least one child who is disabled.
They found that parents without disabled or seriously ill children spend £239 a month on food for their family – compared to £350 for those with disabled children.
A further £181 is spent on energy bills for a household without disabled children, while their cost increases to £212.
The researchers also found that three in 10 parents with a disabled child never feel able to invite friends around for meals, compared to other parents who do this once a month.
Dining out can also be a challenge, with families from non-disabled children dining out twice a month, compared to families with disabled children who said they dined out just once.
Most read in Health
While dining out is difficult, the experts also found half of parents raising disabled children want to eat more meals together as a family as they believe it helps communication, with almost two thirds considering mealtimes together as ‘important’.
While 43 per cent of parents with disabled or seriously ill children find it ‘very difficult’ to get their youngster to eat a variety of foods.
The research was conducted in conjunction with the launch of a new six-part podcast series with Paddy and Christine McGuinness, Table Talk with Paddy and Christine, which aims to raise better awareness of life for families raising a disabled or seriously ill child.
Paddy McGuinness said both he and his wife Christine are on a journey of learning about autism and other disabilities.
He said that listening to other families and hearing their important stories has made him realise how vital it is to properly highlight the real issues that families across the UK face.
Christine added: "The Table Talk podcast has been special to me. I wish there had been a similar podcast when I was growing up, so I could feel more like myself and perhaps even start my diagnosis journey early.”
Shockingly, the study also found that 76 per cent believe their disabled child will always be at a disadvantage.
It also found that 46 per cent of parents without disabled children are not familiar with the challenges faced by families raising disabled children.
As a result, 78 per cent of those with a disabled or seriously ill child want to see more families with disabled children shown in mainstream culture.
Mark Hodge, spokesman for , which has been working with Family Fund since 2021, said: “As part of this ongoing collaboration, we are hoping to raise awareness and give a voice to these families with seriously ill or disabled children and showcase the importance of talking, whether that’s around the dinner table at mealtimes with the family or elsewhere.”
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Cheryl Ward, Group Chief Executive at Family Fund, said: "Changing public perceptions about the reality of life for families on low incomes, raising a disabled or seriously ill child, is urgently needed, which is why this podcast series is so important.
"Sharing families’ personal stories will really help to increase people's understanding and hopefully encourage more families to come forward for support with everyday essentials."
We pay for your stories!
Do you have a story for The Sun news desk?
Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4104. You can WhatsApp us on 07423 720 250. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours