00:00 We'd like to talk about our recent or current report, still nowhere near enough, which sets
00:09 out shocking insights about how people with Parkinson's have been affected by the cost
00:14 of living crisis. So, for example, of the over 3,000 people that we surveyed, a quarter
00:21 said they were struggling with the cost of living, and of those, almost eight out of
00:27 ten said that they were less likely to turn their heating on.
00:32 The NHS website defines Parkinson's disease as a condition in which parts of the brain
00:37 become progressively damaged over many years. Those affected tend to suffer from balance
00:42 problems and memory problems, amongst a wide range of other physical and psychological
00:47 symptoms. Parkinson's UK is now urging the government to increase support for people
00:52 with Parkinson's, as it outlines how those suffering with the disease are being further
00:56 impacted by the cost of living crisis.
00:59 Six one in four are having fewer meals in order to save money, and almost half say that
01:06 their symptoms, both their mental health symptoms and their physical health symptoms, are being
01:12 affected by their financial situation.
01:15 Key findings from Parkinson's UK found that 22% of helpline inquiries in 2023 were related
01:22 to benefits and income maximisation, and online inquiries into money, grants and benefits
01:28 information pages increased by 59% from 2021 to 2023. As a result, Parkinson's UK is appealing
01:35 to the Chancellor to take action in rolling out things from warm home prescriptions to
01:40 fixing personal independence payments.
01:44 Also, we found as a result of our research that many people with Parkinson's are not
01:50 getting the benefits that they need. So, for example, we did an analysis of DWP stats,
01:57 and that analysis showed that people with Parkinson's are 10% on average more likely
02:05 to have an incorrect PIC decision made when they first make their application. There's
02:11 a particular Parkinson's penalty of on average 10%. We also know that the people who come
02:18 to us with support with their PIP applications, and when they do come to us, in almost 100%
02:25 of cases, their PIP is either increased or they get awarded PIP where they hadn't been
02:32 previously. The thing is with Parkinson's is that it is a highly complex condition,
02:38 and I'm not sure that the DWP, the DWP staff who need to know about the condition in order
02:44 to make accurate assessments, have as much knowledge about the condition and how it affects
02:49 people as they need to. But you're right, to be pushed into avoidable poverty does also
02:56 have a compounding negative effect on mental health.
03:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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