Credit crunch 'affecting disabled'
Updated on 14 October 2008
Disabled children and their families are starting to be hit by the credit crunch as worries about rising heating and food bills mount, a new report has warned.
The Newlife Foundation disability charity said there had been an "alarming" increase in requests for help from parents struggling to pay bills.
Wheelchairs and other essential items are being paid for on credit cards, and in some cases debts will outlive a child, it was claimed.
Newlife's chief executive Sheila Brown said: "We understand that everyone is feeling the pinch of the credit crunch, however there are a quarter of a million children across the country desperate for essential equipment.
"Statutory services often spend a pitiful amount on equipment for each disabled child and some charities are now unable to offer any support or have waiting lists of up to two years, so desperate parents are turning to Newlife for help.
"The major increase in calls for help and information shows the dramatic level of concern."
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