Support The Brain Charity’s Sixmas appeal this Christmas
Please help us raise £20,000 to support those with neurological conditions amid the cost-of-living crisis
There are 1 in 6 people who live with a neurological condition. Many face poverty, mental illness, loneliness and isolation as a result.
The Brain Charity’s Sixmas campaign aims to raise £20,000 to support those with neurological conditions amid the cost-of-living crisis.
The cost-of-living crisis and neurological conditions
Living with a long-term health condition has always been expensive. The cost-of-living crisis has hit those with neurological conditions hardest.
Our community told us last year 1 in 3 regularly struggle to make ends meet.
Things have gotten significantly worse in recent years. In 2019, disabled households faced an average of £583 in extra costs each month. In 2023, this figure has skyrocketed to £975 every month.
These costs are not optional extras, they are the essential goods and services that enable people to live their lives.
- A person who has lost the use of their legs following a stroke needs a powered wheelchair to get round.
- Public transport is inaccessible for many people with disabilities, so they need to take more private-hire vehicles.
- Cold weather can exacerbate nerve pain, meaning someone with trigeminal neuralgia needs the heating on more often.
These are the costs that welfare benefits are supposed to cover; in practice, however, they do not go nearly far enough.
This Christmas, please help us to help some of society’s most vulnerable people
Please help us raise £20,000 for our Information and Advice service, which helps those affected by neurological conditions to improve their financial situation and become more confident in managing their money.
This includes:
- Guiding them through the process of signing up for and using online banking services.
- Demonstrating to them how to pay bills online and compare bill prices using reputable comparison sites.
- Supporting them to apply for welfare benefits or hardship grants.
- Helping them understand the importance of budgeting.
Your donations will also help fund counselling and befriending to support our clients’ mental health.
One of the biggest barriers to financial independence is low levels of employment. Less than 1 in 5 people with a neurological condition is in full-time work.
Our Employment and Law Officer helps people to stay in work by supporting with discrimination queries and obtaining reasonable adjustments.