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Campaigns and research

4 mins read

Una Summerson, Head of Campaigns & Research, outside 10 Downing Street with Contact beneficiaries

We influence policy and campaign so politicians and decision-makers tackle the inequalities faced by families with disabled children.

Our latest Covid-19 campaigns

SIGN OUR PETITION CALLING FOR A COVID-19 VACCINE FOR SHIELDING CHILDREN

Read our latest vaccine research and letter to the vaccine committee

Watch families on Channel 4 News talking about trying to get a Covid vaccine for their children: Covid vaccine: The vulnerable children not yet eligible for the jab – Channel 4 News

Watch us on Channel 4 News calling for a roadmap out of lockdown shielding children and their families.

Use our  template letter to complain if your GP refuses you  a COVID-19 vaccine as a unpaid carer. 

Latest advice on your questions about Covid vaccines

Universal Credit campaign 

USE OUR NEW RESOURCES TO CHALLENGE DWP DECISIONS ON CLAIMING  UNIVERSAL CREDIT FOR A DISABLED YOUNG PERSON IN EDUCATION

Universal Credit – Stop the cuts meaning more than 100,000 families with disabled children will be worse off.  Read our  Universal Credit briefing [PDF] that explains the issues. 

Improving health care campaign 

READ OUR NEW GUIDES ON GETTING EYE, HEARING AND DENTAL CHECKS 

Get an annual health check – listen to our podcast and answers to your questions including getting on the learning disability register  

Your questions answered about getting the Flu jab  

Latest from the Disabled Children’s Partnership 

Listen to BBC You and Yours programme with Amanda Batten, CEO at Contact and Dan McEvoy, a parent carer talking about the findings from our Longest Lockdown report and call for Covid recovery and catch up for disabled children 

Left in Lockdown research shows most families left without support 

Give it Back – we’re calling on government to give back the £434 million of care support owed to disabled children and their families. 

Read the blog from the Disabled Children’s Partnership on what we want government to do to improve health and social care support for families

You might also be interested in

School transport  – Calling on governemnt to close the loophole for disabled young people.

Caring More than Most research –  census data  shows 150,000 parent carers providing more than 100 hours of care per week.

Past campaigns successes including Stop the DLA Takeaway in hospital.

Other issues we’re campaigning on such as childcare, illegal exclusions and waiting times for services.

Our research

You might also be interested in

Parliamentary Human Rights committee published shocking report on disabled young people detained in private mental health hospitals 

Scottish Social Security Changes – Latest advice including getting a young carers grant

Support and benefits advice if your child is in a residential setting

Returning to school advice 

What we want

  • Access to Covid-19 vaccines for disabled children, shielding children and all their family carers
  • A Covid recovery plan aimed at tackling the health and educational inequalities disabled children experience 
  • Financial support that recognises the extra care and disability costs for families 
  • Stop the cuts to child disbled payment in Universial Credit and  increases in carer’s allowance 
  • Ending to the wait for assessment, diagnosis and good quality support.
  • A clear and joined up legal framework that enhances individual family rights.
  • The real experts are parents of disabled children. We want parent carer participation across the UK.

What we’re doing 

  • We influence laws and government policy based on what families with disabled children tell us and what we have learnt from our services
  • We carry out research to build evidence of the difficulties faced by disabled children and present a case for change.
  • We join forces with other charities and support their campaigns.
  • We meet with MPs and government departments.
  • We support parent carer participation and help parents get directly involved in shaping their services.

What you can do

What other organisations do we work with?

We join forces with other charities to influence public policy and campaign together. This shared voice strengthens our lobbying activities and helps decision makers and politicians understand shared concerns. These alliances include: