12,000 ‘forgotten’ disabled children

A CHARITY is calling on the Government not to forget more than 12,000 “missing” disabled children in Yorkshire.

Newlife, which provides equipment for disabled youngsters, says research commissioned by the Department of Work and Pensions shows there are more disabled children in the UK than ever before, despite the Government using five-year-old figures that have “forgotten” to include 300,000 children.

In Yorkshire alone, the charity says there are now 92,197 disabled children – just over 12,000 more than in the previous year.

Newlife chief executive Sheila Brown said: “How can clinical commissioning groups, local authorities and local education authorities adequately plan, budget and provide the services disabled children need if they’re using figures that are more than five years out of date? Every disabled child deserves to be counted.

“It’s time statutory services stepped up and addressed the fact that thousands of disabled children are relying on charities like Newlife for essential equipment and support, yet the law is clear in protecting these children’s rights.”

A Government spokesperson said the charity’s claim was “misleading” and based on outdated figures it no longer uses.

He added: “Decisions by local authorities and clinical commissioning groups are not based on national estimates. Services for disabled children are commissioned based on local knowledge.”