Thousands of disabled children in the UK are going without services because the government has been using out-of-date figures for planning and budgeting.

Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children, a UK charity, claims the Government has been using outdated statistics for more than ten years to shape support services. It says this has resulted in thousands of ‘invisible’ children, whose families have had to fight for services from unrealistically tight budgets.

Stephen Morgan, head of operations for the organisation, said: “The figures on which Government currently bases its policy are at least ten years out of date.” He added: “They have been working on statistics which have estimated there were 770,000 children with disabilities in the UK, but this has only taken into account children up to the age of 16, whereas statutory services have an obligation to provide an assessment of need up to the age of 18.”

Newlife is calling on David Cameron’s new Conservative Government to use data commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions instead of the out-of-date figures. It wants the Government to use the new figures to re-evaluate its planning and provision at national level and to guide local providers, such as councils and health authorities, when developing services.

Sheila Brown, the charity’s chief executive, said: “Childhood disability can affect any family at any time and so making proper provision is a national necessity.” She added: “We will be appealing to government to accept this new data and use it to properly plan for the future.”

The charity said that professionals working for local statutory services, such as occupational therapists and physiotherapists, have reported spending much of their time applying to charities for help because they know their statutory service cannot or will not provide the equipment that is needed for everyday work.

Published: 29 June 2015