14 August 2024 News
The Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association has paid out more than £1.4 million in financial support grants in the first six months of the year – 21% higher than at the same time last year and the largest ever figure within this period in the history of our grants.
As of 16 July this year, 2819 applications were approved in 2024. In this total, 856 families affected by MND have received support with household bills and food shopping costs as the cost-of-living crisis continues.
For 206 others, quality of life grants has given them the chance to enjoy what may be a final family holiday. The MND Association can offer some financial support to help with:
- Cost of living support to help with household bills and food shopping
- Fund equipment or a service assessed for by a health/social care professional, that cannot be met by statutory services
- Funding for children and young people whose parent/carer has MND or lives with someone with MND
- Unpaid carers supporting someone living with MND
- Improving quality of life for someone living with MND
Alex Herd was diagnosed with MND aged just 30 in 2021. However, it has not stopped him and husband Craig embracing life and making precious memories together. The Association helped support the couple with housing adaptations, with Alex saying our grants scheme has ‘totally changed his life.’
He explained: “We had ramps installed, we had the bathroom renovation, I have a new desk that's height adjustable. The ramp allows me to drive my wheelchair outside of the house, I would not be able to do it without it.
“The bathroom as it was before was getting dangerous for me to use. We had a bath before with a showerhead which was very difficult for me to get in without risk of injury to me and whoever is caring for me at the time. The Association grants have totally changed my life.”
On the figures Lauren Robinson, National Care Manager at the MND Association, said: “We believe the cost-of-living crisis has caused some people to experience additional financial pressure and has increased the need for further support.
“With statutory services also under increased pressure, we have seen more demand for funding towards equipment and adaptations. People with and affected by MND have less disposable income for things such as home and garden maintenance and this is reflected in the applications received.
“However, we are continually promoting the support grants to ensure we have as much reach as possible. We would encourage all those eligible to consider applying for our grants, which cover a variety of scenarios, as the funding is there to be used. The amounts given out through grants is increasing year on year and this uplift is great to see as more people affected by MND utilise the service."