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.

From now until the end of 25th December 2023, any donations to The Brain Charity will be doubled thanks to the Aviva Community Fund. Up to £250 of every single donation will be matched, meaning your £25 donation will become £50.

Living with a long-term health condition has always been expensive. The cost-of-living crisis has hit those with neurological conditions hardest. The Brain Charity’s community shared that in the 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. For example:

-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.

Please help The Brain Charity raise £20,000 for their 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.