We unlocked £17k for one family – can you help us unlock more?

2 mins read

Thursday 15 January 2026

In this article, our Family Finance parent adviser Polly explains how with your support this winter, we can make a transformational difference to families with disabled children.

Working on the frontline and hearing families with disabled children disproportionately affected by financial hardship is tough.

But every day, our expert advice is making a transformational difference for families across the country.

I’m Polly, and I work in the Family Finance team at Contact, part of our helpline. We give parent carers the tools they need to cope and build a more secure future for their family.

“I won’t need to worry any more”

Just like we did for Francesca*. She was worried about affording the essentials and initially called our helpline for advice to check if her Universal Credit was correct.

Through our specialist support, Francesca unlocked an incredible £17,000 in unpaid benefits for her family!

With rising heating bills, this life-changing amount will keep her family home warm and pay for essential clothing and specialist equipment for her disabled children.

‘Getting this money will make such a difference to my life and my children, and I can’t thank Contact enough. I won’t need to worry any more about how I will afford all the things they need. I really can’t believe it.’ 

The positive difference we make to families like Francesca’s is what motivates me to speak to as many parent carers as possible.

Could you make a £10 donation to transform lives?

Can you kick-start the year by showing your parent carer solidarity and making a £10 donation today? Your gift could help us respond to the increasing number of calls reaching out to us for support right now.

As a thank you, we’ll post you four special stickers for every gift of £10 or more. We invite you to display them this winter to show your support for families with disabled children – because being seen, heard and supported can change everything for them.

If you’re a parent carer finding the winter months challenging, please know that we’re here for you. You can find information on help with energy and other costs on our website.

*Francesca’s story is real, but we’ve changed her name to protect her identity and used an unrelated family photograph.