National disability charities Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children and Sense have joined forces to provide grants totalling £23,000 to families with disabled children facing profound hardship due to the current cost of living crisis.

Newlife, the largest UK charity provider of specialist disability equipment across the UK, partnered with Sense, which provides support for people with complex disabilities, to provide 46 families previously helped by Newlife receive funding totalling £23,000 through the Sense Cost of Living Support Fund.

The one-off payment of £500 was available to eligible children, young people, and adults with complex disabilities who are on a low income and didn’t affect any benefits the recipient was receiving and could be spent in any way it was needed.

Karen Dobson, Newlife Consultant Nurse, said: “The aim was to help as many disabled families as possible who are facing profound financial hardship in these difficult times. It was for people living with their families at home or with carers in the community, who are on a low income.

“We contacted eligible families that were known to Newlife and who had previously used Newlife’s services to help their children. All applications had to come through a professional, and Newlife completed the application form on behalf of our Newlife families.”

Newlife received a great response from the families contacted about the grant, many of which were grateful they had even been considered for the funding, while other comments included ‘I will be able to heat more than one room now this winter. I thank you enough’, and ‘I can’t thank you enough. Everything is such a worry’, while other families have commented on what a good idea it is for organisations to work together to help families.

Karen added: “It has been a privilege for me to work in partnership with Sense to provide the Sense Cost of Living Support Fund. This funding makes such a difference to the lives of the families we support.

“Families don’t have the time, or often the ability, to find out what is on offer and really appreciate the support we could provide at a time when finances are particularly worrying.

“Although many people are finding the cost of living crisis difficult, for families with disabled children it can be particularly hard. Often at least one parent has had to give up work to help with caring responsibilities and the cost of disability equipment, along with using extra electricity for equipment such as profiling beds or oxygen machines, can mean precious little is left at the end of the month.”