Cost of living crisis: Parents' bills battle

Keith Butler said he left the house during the day to reduce bills

The parents of a severely disabled man are worried they will not be able to afford his ongoing care needs because of rising living costs.

Keith and Helen Butler from Redditch in Worcestershire are both retired and on a fixed income.

They say they are struggling financially after a gas bill increase.

The charity Sense said half of households with a disabled person in the West Midlands had been pushed into debt by rising bills.

Mr and Mrs Butler said their gas bill had trebled and due to the disabilities of their adopted son, 21, the additional costs were proving a problem.

Their commitments include charging and running a feeding machine, operating a specialist bed, and keeping the house warm because he is susceptible to illness.

Mr Butler said: "I try not to have the lights on," adding "there's not a lot of wriggle room any more and when he's at college I turn everything off and go out for the day, because then there's no cost."

He said if he was not a foster carer, he would probably be out looking for a job to help pay the bills.

The Department of Work and Pensions said it recognised the impact on those with long-term illness or disability and that it was offering financial support.

It added: "Eight million low-income households will get at least £1,200 of direct payments this year to support with the cost of living, with a £150 top-up payment for disabled people."