A lot is written and talked about the welfare bill and how people living with disabilities and long-term health conditions get ‘handouts’ and ‘benefits’. Less is written about the expenses that people living with disabilities and illness face on a daily basis. From expensive transport requirements, and having to attend regular medical appointments, there are an array of additional costs that people living with long-term health conditions face. Some people need to heat there home to a warmer temperature and this can add hundreds of pounds annually to someone’s bills. Prescriptions can be expensive. There are also additional medical appointments that someone may choose to pay for outside of the NHS. These can include really important things, particularly if a person feels like the NHS isn’t able to offer anything for their condition (e.g. Long Covid, ME). Many people are forced to give up work. Employers might be supportive for a while but many lose patience with long-term conditions. Losing work can be a painful loss and something that need to be processed. Therapy maybe another expense that someone needs to support them through their difficulties. As you can see it’s a lot and it’s a story you won’t see written about in the papers or discussed on the radio. These expenses are life for many people. So next time you here about the benefits system gone wild think again about how much is actually needed to support someone living with a disability of long-term health condition.
