Charity chiefs call on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to give £434m funding back to disabled kids and social care

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SOME 70 charity chiefs today urge the new Chancellor to support HOAR’s Give It Back campaign and find vital funding for disabled kids.

They are calling on Rishi Sunak to “give back” the £434million which has been cut from council budgets for social care and disabled children over the past decade.

Give It Back campaigners hand in their petition at Downing Street

Charities are calling on Rishi Sunak to ‘give back’ the £434million which has been cut from council budgets for social care and disabled children over the past decade

The Disabled Children’s Partnership, which runs the campaign, says hundreds of thousands of families are struggling because of the lack of respite care and vital equipment.

They are urging the Treasury boss to find the cash in his Budget on March 11 to help.

In a letter to the Chancellor, they say: “We know how vital the government’s support is and have seen your personal commitment to supporting disabled children.

FAMILIES CANNOT WAIT ANY LONGER

“Using your first Budget to fill the £434 million funding gap and create a dedicated Disabled Children’s Innovation Fund to support best practice would make a massive difference to children and families across the UK.”

Ministers last year announced a major review into the support given for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

But Stephen Kingdom, from the Disabled Children’s Partnership, said desperate families cannot afford to wait any longer.

He said: “The government must act now to address this crisis.

“Whilst the previous Chancellor announced some additional money to support children with special educational needs in schools, that will do nothing to help families at home.

“Children and families can’t wait for the Government’s promised review of SEND. They need support now.

“The government must act now to address this crisis.”

Research by the campaign has revealed that only 4 per cent of parents feel they are getting the right support to care for their disabled kids.

And over half have been forced to give up jobs to care for their disabled child.

The alliance of dozens of charities include action for Children, Scope and Mencap.

Charity chiefs are urging the new Chancellor to support HOAR’s Give It Back campaign