Chesterfield mum caring for disabled son says Christmas will be a struggle with cost-of-living crisis

Anna Tesdale, 40, lives with her three children, Mac, 15, George, 18, and Charlie, 21.

Charlie, was diagnosed dementia and a rare form of motor neurone disease five years ago and Anna says his needs impact his siblings in ways that are growing with the cost-of-living crisis.

She added: “Charlie can’t monitor his own temperature, so he gets cold easily and if he gets too cold, he could go hypothermic. That’s why we’re so careful and have an electric heater to heat his room properly, but we can’t always afford to heat the rest of the house.”

At first, Mac and George didn’t understand why the house was so cold, but Charlie’s room had heat and Anna had to honestly explain the situation to her children.

“I told them that because of his illness he needs to be warm. It’s hard because of course I want to have the heating on full-time for all my kids. Especially when it’s cold and dark outside, I just want them to be able to come home to a warm house.”

She added: “We have a meter and it’s never bothered me because it’s always been manageable but now I put money on it, and it’s gone straight away.”

If the cost of living goes up any further, Anna does not know how she will cope. She already skips meals to make food last and is buying cheaper frozen meals instead of the fresh produce the family would have had in the past.

“I’ve done everything I can, like contacting power companies and being put on priority lists, but I can’t plan for anything else. I don’t think we’ll cope with more rises in January and April.

“People don’t understand how important benefits are to families like mine. Everyone is struggling, but a divide is being created and people on benefits are being vilified. It’s heart-breaking,” she added.

Going into the festive season, Anna knows things need to be different this year. Her children will receive fewer presents than usual, and the treats that they would normally have at this time of year will not be possible due to the rising costs of everything else.

“Normally I’d be buying lots of little bits but this year it’s one or two things each, and I’m not doing presents for the adults in the family. It’s not a massive deal for me but for the kids it is.”

However, Anna’s children are understanding, and she describes them as being incredible in a difficult situation.

“My middle child has asked for pick and mix sweets this year, because he understands that things are different. We go through so much I just want to treat him and make things special for him, but I’ll do that in other ways.”

Anna’s sister and mum live nearby, so they will gather as a family and celebrate Christmas together which Anna said “is what’s most important.”

National disability charity Sense said a fifth (22 per cent) of families in the UK that care for a disabled family member say they will not celebrate Christmas this year, due to the cost-of-living crisis.

Over a thousand families that care for a disabled family member were surveyed, with over half (51 per cent) admitting to being in debt, and more than a third (35 per cent) skipping meals to save money. Three in five (61 per cent) families said they were unable to afford to keep their home adequately warm.

Over a third (38 per cent) said they will not buy Christmas presents, and a fifth (22 per cent) said they will cancel celebrations all together.

Disabled people face higher living and energy costs. More energy is used to run essential equipment, such as breathing machines and feeding pumps, whilst heating is vital for those who can’t regulate their own body temperature.

Richard Kramer, Sense Chief Executive, said: "Everyone has been affected by the rising costs, but disabled households were under pressure even before this crisis, and now many don’t know how they’ll get through winter.

“Targeted support is something we urgently need, so that disabled households are able to heat their homes and enjoy the festive period.”