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.
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.