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About families with disabled children

• In the UK, there are 770,000 disabled children under the age of 16. That equates to one child in 20.
• 99.1% of disabled children live at home and are supported by their families.
• 52% of families with a disabled child are at risk of experiencing poverty.
• It costs up to three times as much to raise a disabled child, as it does to raise a child without disabilities.
• Caring for a disabled child can cause relationship problems. According to one study, 31% of couples report some problems, 13% cite major problems and 9% actually separate. Stress, depression and lack of sleep are other commonly experienced problems.

We also produce a guide, About families with disabled children

More facts and figures about families with disabled children

• The income of families with disabled children averages £15,270, 23.5% below the UK mean income of £19,968, and 21.8% have incomes that are less than half the UK mean.
• Only 16% of mothers with disabled children work, compared to 61% of other mothers.
• 56% of parents with disabled children and children with SEN reported there was a lack of sufficient childcare in their area.
• Only one in 13 disabled children receive a regular support service of any sort from their local authority.
• Pupils with special educational needs (SEN) are more than nine times more likely to be expelled than their peers in England.