Chancellor urged to save taxpayers £14million a year by ring-fencing funding for disabled kids’ care

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TAXPAYERS would save £14 million a year if Rishi Sunak ring fences respite care funding for disabled funds, new research has found.

A report by X Factor charity Together for Short Lives has calculated that reinstating the £434million cut from vital care social funding for disabled children would boost productivity for thousands of parents.

The Chancellor has been urged to save taxpayers £14million a year by ring-fencing funding for disabled kids’ care

It would also reduce their number of sick days, improve their mental health and reduce the burden on the NHS.

The study calculated the total potential benefits to taxpayers from delivering short breaks to all parents of seriously ill children in the UK who have requested help.

The findings lay bare the economic cost of the Government’s decision to cut £434 million of funding from vital services for families of disabled children such as respite care and crucial equipment.

Together for Short Lives last night backed HOAR’s Give It Back campaign calling on the Chancellor to reinstate the money and class it as ring-fenced annual spending.

It wants Mr Sunak to use his upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review to pay back the money.

Jon Franklin from Pro Bono Economics who helped carry out the research, said: “Providing short breaks to parent carers helps those parents in a range of very practical ways, providing relief to people who are dealing with some of the most demanding and challenging situations imaginable.

“But our analysis shows that the benefits may not stop there.

“Short breaks for parents of seriously ill children could significantly reduce their stress and improve work attendance. That helps alleviate the burden on the healthcare system and increases productivity and tax revenue.”

Together for Short Lives said: “We’re calling on the government to take action and ensure that the short breaks ‘black hole’ is filled, so that families can get the respite support they so urgently need”, says Andy Fletcher, CEO of Together for Short Lives.

“The upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review is a perfect time for Whitehall to grab this issue, and put in place a centrally funded system that ensures that families across the country are getting the support that the government has promised, and they are legally entitled to.”

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