Lincolnshire mum struggling with rising costs calls for benefits increase

A Lincolnshire mum has spoken out about caring for a disabled child and the additional costs the family is facing with their energy bill, as they bear the brunt of the cost of living crisis.

Peggy Kent, 49, is from Bourne and cares for her 10-year-old daughter Honey-bea who has Goltz Syndrome, a genetic condition that affects skin, skeletal system, eyes, and the face.

The family currently receive Universal Credit, Carers Allowance, and Disability Living Allowance for Honey-bea. National disability charity Sense is calling for benefits to be increased in line with inflation.

Honey-bea with her assistance dog Cherry. | Photo: Sense

Peggy said: “Because of Honey-bea’s condition, the house must be warm and we need hot water for washing. These are necessities, and we’ve already seen our energy bill rise by over a hundred pounds a month.

“Then there’s the other costs, which include hospital visits, and impact of fuel price increases.”

She also feels that the role of family carers is undervalued and wants to see more from government.

“Support us, listen to us, respect what we do. These are children, our young adults – they only have us. To have benefits rise with inflation would give us a chance.”

Honey-bea has a genetic condition that affects skin, skeletal system, eyes, and face. | Photo: Sense

Sense published a report earlier this month to show the extent to which disabled people were struggling, even before the cost of living crisis.

According to the findings, disabled people were three times more likely to be behind on bills or in debt (13%) compared to non-disabled people (4%).

They were three times more likely to be unable to afford access to adequate food (17%) than those with no disability (5%).

Earlier this year, Sense announced an emergency fund for children and adults with complex disabilities. The charity said it was overwhelmed with demand for support and has provided a thousand UK families with a £500 grant to help them cope with the cost of living crisis.

It is the first time in the charity’s history, which spans more than six decades, that they’ve provided emergency financial support on this scale.

Honey-bea enjoying the outdoors with her assistance dog Cherry.

A Sense petition calling for more financial support for disabled households has surpassed 60,000 signatures – see more information here.

It has put forward a series of recommendations to improve the situation for disabled people and their families, including a benefits system that meets disabled people’s needs.

As a result of successive benefits freezes, Sense says the standard rate of Universal Credit has increased by 7.5% since 2013. In the same time period inflation has increased by 22.9%.

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