Call for more support for disabled people

Ten disability charities have criticised the Government for failing to represent the interests of disabled people.

Disability Charity Consortium (DCC) members say the UK’ s 14 million disabled people are being “forgotten by the Government” and “allowed to fall through the cracks”.

Vital services for people with a physical disability, in particular, have missed out on emergency funding so far.

The DCC has highlighted a lack of a coherent strategy to specifically support disabled people through the pandemic and beyond, with many services suspended and facing a perilous future.

DCC co-chairs Neil Heslop, CEO of Leonard Cheshire, and Mark Hodgkinson, CEO of Scope, said: “Despite repeated efforts to raise the issue, it feels like the UK’s 14m disabled people, particularly those with physical conditions, are being forgotten and allowed to fall through the cracks.

“Providers of services are facing spiralling costs, a rapid drop in income from cancelled fundraising activities, but huge surges in demand as a result of the crisis, creating the perfect storm.

“Right now, we are collectively supporting millions of disabled people who are anxious, isolated and alone.

“Our staff are providing vital services, information and support under incredibly difficult circumstances.Sometimes we are the only place that disabled people have to turn.

“We want to be there for every disabled person who needs us, but this could soon be an impossibility.

“Disability charities are at risk of disappearing at the very time that disabled people need us most. Without vital funds, we will have stark choices to make about cutting services or, closing our doors.”