It’s hard paying the bills but we have to keep Elisa alive

A DISABLED girl’s father made to choose between keeping her alive, heating or eating is to have his desperate plea for help delivered to Boris Johnson.

Dan McEvoy pays sky-high rates for electricity to run the 11 devices that nine-year-old Elisa relies on.

The Bournemouth family have already cut back on everything else, living off cheap tinned food and using small lamps for lighting.

Left with “no other clear options”, dad-of-two Dan, 46, has written a letter which the Daily Express will deliver to No 10.

He says: “Electrical toys used to provide her with enrichment are no longer used. We ask the school to charge some of her equipment.

“We have tightened our belts but there are corners we cannot cut – Elisa’s life is dependent on us being able to pay our bills.

“There are families who will have to make a choice between heating and eating; for us, we must make a choice between heating, eating and being able to give a safe and healthy home for our child.”

Dan, once an IT analyst, gave up work when Elisa was diagnosed with cerebral palsy in 2013. His wife Maiju, 34, had to drop out of her degree to care for her full time.

The family feel “let down” by the Government as their bills shot up by £450 in recent months.

The Daily Express crusade to End Disability Bills Crisis calls on ministers and energy firms to provide immediate targeted relief such as a £200 grant for hard-hit families, as called for by charities.

Campaigners claim households are at risk of further bill increases in winter under plans to change the price cap more often.

The energy watchdog intends to reset the cap on bills every three months instead of six so wholesale price changes can be passed on. Households would feel the benefit off falling prices sooner – but be hit by rising prices more quickly.

The Disabled Children’s Partnership says four in 10 families with disabled children have seen their savings wiped out. One-third have gone into debt paying for support and 36 per cent of parents have borrowed money to cover help.

Dan, also father to six-year-old Melody who has tuberous sclerosis, said he feels “forgotten” and “ignored” by the Government and energy firms. He said: “We support the Express campaign to help families who care for disabled children at home as we so often do not have a voice. We feel the Government could be in the position to provide families like ours with support and compassion.”

James Taylor, director of strategy at disability equality charity Scope, said the McEvoys “simply have no choice but to spend money on essential equipment”.

He added: “There is nothing more they can cut back on. Life costs more if you are disabled. The Government should make sure that disabled families like the McEvoys do not have to repay the upcoming £200 rebate [on bills].

“It should urgently provide increased financial support to disabled people directly.”

Amanda Batten, of disability charity Contact, said: “Disabled children need equipment such as ventilators, food pumps, hoists and wheelchair chargers. We are hearing from more and more families. They need targeted support now.”

A Government spokesman said that it had provided support including Personal Independence Payments and Carer’s Allowance “on top of our £22billion package of targeted support for the hardest-hit this year”.