Cystic Fibrosis Trust urging Government to help those struggling this winter
To read our response to the Autumn Statement, please click here
Ahead of the Autumn Budget, we have written to Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, calling on the UK Government to address these financial pressures, put more funding into the NHS so that everyone with CF can access specialised psychosocial support services, and alleviate the burden that the rising cost-of-living is placing on people with CF.
In our letter this week to the Chancellor we are asking for:
- Benefit Uprating and alignment with pensions to make ensure timely and accurate increases in support
- An assessment of the Christmas bonus to help those with disabilities manage the rising cost of energy and food during the coldest months
- An overhaul of the Statutory Sick Pay system to abolish the three-day waiting period and extending the criteria and 28 weeks limit.
Our Cost of Living work
Our work with the University of Bristol found that people with cystic fibrosis and their families have a median extra cost of nearly £6,800 per year, and are being disproportionately affected by the cost of living crisis, due to the additional costs that the condition brings.
Our October report
Our Support in Crisis: the unseen costs of Cystic Fibrosis, report which we published in October highlighted that specialised NHS CF services including doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, physiotherapists, and dietitians are often stretched, with only a quarter satisfied with their staffing levels.
Contact our Helpline
Our Helpline is available to anyone looking for information or support with any aspect of cystic fibrosis, a listening ear, or just to talk things through. Our friendly team are here if you need us.