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Local charity calls for urgent action
to help disabled people and their families due to increasing poverty
REVITALISE has responded to the new
study from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), UK Poverty 2017, in calling for
urgent financial support for disabled people in poverty. Revitalise, which runs
the Sandpipers centre in Southport, providing respite breaks for disabled people
and carers from the region, has already noted increasing demand for hardship
support in recent years.
As a result, Revitalise has increased its funding support to help those facing
increasing hardship and poverty by around 400% in the past 5 years. By the
end of January 2018, Revitalise will have provided funding in excess of
₤650,000, helping over 1,300 people in financial hardship take much needed
breaks with the charity.
Revitalise has also responded with concern to the report's finding that families
in poverty are disproportionately affected by social isolation and
'relationship distress.' The charity is reasserting its call for more support for disabled
people and carers; especially in the form of regular respite; in order to
alleviate the damaging effects of isolation and loneliness and prevent costly
interventions, increasing the pressure on the NHS and local authority social
care, if the relationship is allowed to break down.
Revitalise CEO Chris Simmonds commented:- "The media is right to focus on
the upswing in children and older people in relative poverty, but let's not
forget that the most vulnerable people in society are also disproportionately
affected.
It is extremely concerning to find 30% of households with disabled members
living in poverty; that's 50% more than households unaffected by disability.
We are working hard to make our contribution to combating this and our financial
support for respite breaks for those experiencing hardship has increased
4 fold over the past 5 years in response to increasing demand, but clearly
more needs to be done in terms of statutory support. JRF's research also reveals a clear link between poverty and a disproportionate
strain on relationships.
Relationships between disabled people and carers are already under huge stress
and support must be in place before they reach breaking point. ½ of our
guests told us that a break with us could have or did prevent their relationship
from breaking down.
According to Carers UK, unpaid carers save the UK economy ₤132 billion each
year. As long as disabled people and carers continue to live in poverty, with
all the accompanying problems this brings, the cost to society down the line
will be huge if we allow relationships to break down."
In order to address the problem of isolation and loneliness among disabled
people, Revitalise's Christmas Appeal is raising funds for the Revitalise
Support Fund, which provides support for disabled people and carers in financial
hardship, enabling them to take much-needed breaks with the charity. More
information can be found on the charity's
website.
Revitalise is a national charity providing respite holidays for disabled people
and carers, combining 24 hour nurse led care with a real holiday experience, at
Sandpipers and 2 other accessible holiday centres in Chigwell and Southampton.
Each centre offers a wide range of accessible activities and excursions in a
holiday environment.
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