Families and carers face extra costs of more than £2,650 a year to raise a child on the autism spectrum, a new study shows.
The research looks at the higher costs of everyday household and play items, such as furniture, clothes and toys.
Dr Chloe Blackwell’s report outlines the additional costs faced by the parents and carers of autistic children
Dr Chloe Blackwell, of Loughborough University, and children’s disability charity the Family Fund carried out the study.
Their work says everyday household and play items need to be replaced more often and be of higher quality for children on the autism spectrum.
One carer’s costs
Morag Batton, from Ayrshire, is a carer for her 11-year-old granddaughter, Alexa. The girl is autistic and has learning difficulties, an attachment disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyspraxia and hip dysplasia.
Batton said clothing is a big expense for her, as Alexa wears incontinence pads so needs larger sizes.
She added about Alexa: “She also chews clothing, especially around the neck, and the tears pull into holes in the machine so need to be replaced. We also have a lot of spillages and stains from food and things like that.”
Alexa’s sensory needs mean she spends much of her time bouncing. She broke her bed before a Family Fund grant enabled a replacement.
Her iPad helps to reduce her meltdowns. The Family Fund has replaced several of these over the years, as she breaks them by repeatedly pressing the same button or by mouthing the tablet.
‘First step to pinning down extra income needed’
Dr Blackwell’s report is titled “My kids need what they need”. Additional family costs for meeting the everyday, non-specialist needs of children on the autism spectrum.
Its calculations are based on research for the Minimum Income Standard. This is the same mechanism for setting the real living wage in the UK.
Dr Blackwell said her study is an “important first step in pinning down the additional income these households require”.
Dr Abby Dunn is the Family Fund’s policy chief. She said the research shows families raising a disabled child are “disproportionately affected” by the cost-of-living crisis and “having to go without the basics for their child”.
Benefits increased
A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said it has increased disability benefits by more than 10 per cent this year and provided £900 in cost-of-living payments.
The DWP has also provided an additional disability support payment of £150, added the spokesperson.
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Published: 21 December 2023
