Gordon Backs Family Fund Support
Gordon has met constituents with severely disabled children to hear their experiences of receiving support through the Family Fund, a Government-backed national organisation which supports some 60,000 lower-income families across the UK.
Gordon, who has been a persistent campaigner in Parliament for expanding social and educational support for young people with special educational needs, met the five Blackpool families together with North West staff from the Family Fund. He heard about their experiences and how grants available from the Fund – which provides for essential items to ease special needs and family holidays - had helped them cope with their children’s disabilities.
He said afterwards, ‘I have previously hosted a Westminster event as part of the Family Fund’s campaign to extend benefits eligibility from 16 to 18 year-olds – thanks to Education Secretary Ed Balls, who has been a great supporter, this has now been achieved. Families with children who have often multiple and severe disorders, such as cystic fibrosis, rare behavioural and neurological conditions or cerebral palsy – make great sacrifices to care for and support them. It was heartening and humbling to hear their stories – it’s clear that for them the Family Fund has literally been a life-line.’
‘We talked particularly about what more can be done by Blackpool health and social services to alert families to the Family Fund when their child’s condition is diagnosed and I want to support that. I’ll also be lobbying the Government to see if even in these tough times they can increase the grant and extend eligibility up to age 19 – as this could then cover the demands of a last year of full-time education which families still often need to address.’
The Family Fund’s website with details of eligibility criteria and how to apply is www.familyfund.org.uk. They currently received all their funding from the UK Government and in England give 39,000 low-income families with severely disabled children grants worth £24 million.
